Waking up feeling tired is a sign that you need to focus more on quality sleep. It has been estimated that more people do not sleep enough due to the extensive usage of electronics and their addiction to shows and social media. What is even worse is that as many as 50% of people do not follow exercise as part of their routine. Exercise is a sure shot way to improve your quality of sleep and the number of hours you sleep too. Yoga before bed is a great way to exercise and relax at the same time. Read on to understand how Yoga can help you:
Bring Down The Stress Levels
Yoga is the best way to battle stress. There are many ways stress can get you down. A simple change in routine can cause some people to stress out about how things have not worked out as planned to leave them thinking about it over and over again during bedtime. This leads to increased levels of stress and thereby leading to no sleep. Yoga can help in relaxing your body and reduce cortisol which is the stress hormone. Regular yoga practice can be the best way to combat stress and also sleep very well.
Regulates Nerves
If you are someone who is most likely to suffer from a nervous breakdown, yoga is a fantastic way to relax and calm yourself down. The nerves get to us when we experience something during the day that triggers the fight or flight response. You might be exhausted physically. But your nervous system may be wide awake giving orders to your body. Yoga helps in battling nervousness and stops from triggering the fight or flight mode.
Helps Establish A Routine
Performing yoga is a sure shot way to establish a routine and tell your body that it is time to sleep by doing Yoga. Yoga encourages the person to listen to their body and perform exercise that your body is comfortable doing. Therefore, yoga is very helpful when you want to relax and unwind. You could include a routine like switching off the TV and other electronic devices, take a relaxing shower, Yoga exercise and then hit the bed. This way your body arrives at an understanding that it is time to sleep.
Relieves You Of Sleep Stress
Another common struggle more than sleeping is stressing out about how long you are awake. It is possible that you are stressing about your day or planning your next day ahead. This can be frustrating especially when you want to sleep and you are not able to. Yoga for sleep comes in handy as it helps you relax and enjoy the time you are awake and reduce stress. When you are less stressed you are more at a chance to fall asleep.
How to Make Yoga Work for You?
Now that we know yoga is beneficial, how do we implement it and get the best out of it?
- Choose The Right Style Of Yoga: Not all forms of yoga are relaxing and helps you to calm down. The best form of yoga to sleep is hatha yoga which focuses on different positions of the body and also Nidra, Nidra involves breathing and focus exercise along with restorative poses like lying and sitting. These are perfect for those looking to practice yoga for sleep.
- Focus On Your Bedroom: It is very important to use the bedroom for activities related to sleeping. Use a proper bed and a mattress that can support your body. If you are suffering from sleep problems, Orthopedic memory foam mattress will help in relaxing and getting your body to sleep. Make sure that you have enough room in your bedroom for stretching your legs and use soothing music. Experts from Wakefit opine that quality pillows can support your neck and a great accessory for good sleep.
- Breathing Exercises: Breathing is one of the important forms of therapy in yoga. Focusing on your breathing automatically calms you down and removes all that is bothering you from sleeping. It can also help you focus.
Yoga Poses to Try for Sleeping
There are so many yoga poses and knowing the right ones will help you fall asleep easily. Here are three poses that will surely help you sleep better:
- Legs up the wall: Simple activity of putting your legs up against the wall in such a way that only your upper body is on the floor can relax your entire body aiding you to sleep.
- Lying Butterfly: Performing the butterfly pose while lying down and knees bent.
- Corpse Pose: Lie down and keep your arms and legs straight. Feel relaxed from head to toe.
There are numerous benefits to performing yoga as part of your sleep routine. It cures insomnia and also helps improve your physical strength. It brings in mental focus and also helps in reducing stress levels. By doing the calming exercise, you are sure to get a good night’s sleep.