Yoga has been a popular practice for relaxation and meditation for over 5,000 years. More than just that, it’s also a great tool to improve your sleep quality. Just like finding the right mattress to lie on, using yoga can help you achieve deep sleep. Plus, practicing yoga helps in decluttering the mind, which is super helpful in a world where we are digitally plugged in 24/7. Let’s unpack yoga and explore how it can contribute to a peaceful sleep.
So, what’s yoga? You’ve likely heard of it and may know that it has connections to meditation, stretching, and philosophical ideas. But it’s a bit more involved than that. The word “yoga” translates to “union,” tying into the Buddhist philosophy of finding balance in all aspects of life including physical, mental, and emotional aspects. Yoga is about discovering who you are, not necessarily in terms of wealth, power, or popularity, but through yourself. “Modern yoga,” pioneered by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in the 1800s, is used as a lifestyle tool rather than a religious practice, focusing on overall routine, not just physical exercises.
Yoga can help to calm your nervous system, precisely what many insomniacs need at night to combat the “hyperarousal” that keeps them awake. Our bodies naturally enter “fight or flight” mode in response to things like work or school deadlines during the day. Some people find it hard to turn it off and relax at night. With certain yoga poses, you can boost blood flow to your brain’s sleep center and decrease the nervous system’s activity. Just like a comfy memory foam mattress providing support and comfort, these poses can help you drift off faster after a hectic day.
If you’re feeling stressed, yoga might be your go-to solution. Recent research shows that a large majority of Americans are living with moderate to high stress levels. Yoga, through its “mindfulness” practices, can help reduce the body’s stress hormones (cortisol). Not only can it help you relax and sleep better, but yoga also has been found to decrease anxiety and depression.
Yoga’s role in maintaining mental stability can never be overstated. When using yoga for better sleep, you introduce a level of predictability in your life. Uncertainty about your sleep patterns can result in a vicious cycle of worry and poor sleep. Yoga can quell these uncertainties, providing a level of certainty that ultimately promotes better sleep. Mindfulness meditation, separate or as part of yoga, can help you accept and live in the present moment. When you accept that you’re awake, your anxiety levels decline, and sleep becomes more attainable.
Maintaining a regular sleep routine is one of the best ways to improve sleep quality. Just like setting an alarm to wake up, yogic practices can help you stick to a bedtime routine, enhancing your internal body clock’s efficiency. A regular bedtime yoga routine can both improve your sleep quality and increase sleep duration. This could be a game-changer especially for people suffering from insomnia or those who have a light sleep pattern.
In conclusion, for over 5,000 years, Yoga has been enhancing people’s mental, physical, and spiritual lives, and now it can also provide the added benefit of a good night’s sleep. The stress-reducing, calming, and routine enforcing powers of yoga can work wonders in your daily sleep ritual, eventually taking you from a simple sleep pose to a full, restful slumber!
(Author’s Bio:
Brett writes for ID-MAG. He’s a sleep product enthusiast, spending a lot of his time reading and reviewing anything from eco-mattresses to cooling sleep systems. Brett also runs a small business from home while spending time with his daughter and writing in his spare time. Given his busy schedule, quality sleep is super important to him, and his reviews make sure that you get the same!)
