Sleep is an integral and crucial part of our lives because it helps the body repair itself and gather energy for the day. But with global stress levels being on the rise, an increasing number of people suffer from sleep diseases like insomnia, sleep apnea, and oversleeping.
If you’ve been struggling to fall asleep or to get a night of quality sleep, consider practicing yoga for a few minutes before going to bed.
Yoga poses for better sleep
We have gathered up the most popular and beneficial restorative yoga poses that you can incorporate into your night flow. These poses will help you feel relaxed and ready for bed. In fact, there is no need for a mat here. You can easily do them in bed!
Child’s Pose: This is one of the most popular poses in yoga. It helps deeply stretch the hips and thighs and relieves tension in both the body and mind.
Supine Spinal Twist: This pose stretches the back and spine and releases all the accumulated stress from the day. It also stimulates the abdominals and kidneys.
Legs-up-the-wall: This pose has many benefits like relieving cramps, stress, and anxiety. It improves blood circulation and helps with insomnia as well. Perfect for a night of deep sleep.
Savasana: Laying on your back helps you let go of all the tension. This pose relaxes the body from top to toe and decreases blood pressure and oxygen consumption.
What not to do before sleep
Now that we have established what poses are beneficial before hitting the mat(tress), here are the types of physical activity that you should avoid:
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Hardcore workouts such as high-paced cardio, power yoga or Ashtanga yoga. They will have your heart pumping and will give you a boost of energy – things that will make it hard for you to fall asleep.
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Deep backbends and complex poses might your nervous system out of balance. They require a certain amount of energy and concentration and will most probably make it difficult for your mind to regain the balance it needs to fall asleep.
Why yoga is linked to better sleep
Yoga is known for its relaxing and calming effect on the mind and body. It can lower cortisol and tension levels which are usually significantly in people with depression or anxiety. Yoga also reduces toxin production and increases oxygen supply.
Clear your mind
Yoga helps you get rid of all the mind-chatter that prevents you from falling asleep. By doing breathing exercises and restorative poses, you are releasing all the toxins and stress from the day, allowing your body and mind to reach the highest levels of calmness.
Let go of the aches
Stretching before going to bed is essential to get rid of any joint or muscle pain you have. You can release all the muscle tension resulting from sitting at your desk all day. This will help you sleep more comfortably at night.
Meditate to medicate
A few minutes of meditation at night will allow all your soul’s wounds to heal. You will feel relaxed, refreshed, and all set up to embrace a night of peaceful sleep.