6 Best Yoga Poses for Sleep
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- 24 Feb 2023
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When I struggle with sleep, I become a different person. It makes me more irritable. I become pessimistic. I have difficulty speaking, performing at work, and I am more impulsive with my behaviors and my speech. Physically, I become tight, achy, more clumsy, and I find it difficult to balance and work out. Just two consecutive nights of poor sleep makes it difficult for me to even function in daily life.
Only a third of U.S. adults report that they regularly get the recommended seven hours of sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. It can lead to motor vehicle crashes and mistakes at work, which cause injury and disability each year.
Benefits of yoga for sleep
In November, 2015, the CDC surveyed over 34,000 adults. Of those who practiced yoga, over 55% found improved sleep and over 85% report reduced stress.
“Yoga is an excellent way to improve sleep, especially for those who have insomnia and many other sleep disturbances,” says Dr. Kellie K. Middleton, a physician at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. “Not only does yoga increase flexibility and strength, but it also helps decrease stress and anxiety, both of which can contribute to poor sleep. Studies have shown that people who practice yoga regularly report improved sleep quality and length of time asleep.”
According to Middleton, movement, stretching, deep breathing exercises and meditation are aspects of a yoga practice that can help to improve mental health, reduce stress and lead to better sleep. Additionally, yoga helps regulate the stress hormone, cortisol, as well as serotonin and melatonin, hormones that play an important role in sleep cycles. Yoga also helps restore healthy sleep patterns by regulating these hormones.
Knowing that yoga is proven to help with sleep gives me more confidence that I will sleep well. When I prepare for sleep, I often mentally repeat to myself, “I will sleep, easefully and deeply.” This helps to prevent a cycle of anxiety around sleep.
Develop a regular yoga routine to significantly improve your chances of getting quality sleep. Practice these restorative yoga poses before you lie down in bed or even while you’re in bed to help calm your mind, eliminate discomfort and attune to your breath for a restful night's sleep.
Legs up the wall
How: Scoot your hips close to a wall and swing your legs up the wall. Adjust so that you are just far enough away from the wall that your pelvis is on the floor and tilted slightly up to create a natural arch in the low-back. Slide your feet hip-width apart, relax your legs and allow your feet to turn out. Place your arms at your side with your palms facing up.
If your back is tight, flex your feet and aim them towards your face. Move them wider apart and move your hips further away from the wall for more space. Hold this position for ten, deep breaths or as long as you do not feel any discomfort.
Why: We are on our feet a lot throughout the day, which makes our legs tired and tight. This pose takes all weight and tension off of our legs and feet and helps to recover from standing and walking all day. It is a position that helps to connect to and deepen our breath, decompress and fully relax while moving into sleep. Read More…
