The brain and sleep quality are closely related to each other, impacting physical and mental wellbeing. The pineal gland in the brain receives signals from the suprachiasmatic nucleus and boosts the melatonin hormone production, which helps humans sleep, especially when the lights are off. Practicing specific yoga poses daily has a significant effect on the melatonin levels. Yoga asanas calm the mind, put the brain into complete relaxation, and improve sleep quality.
If you have insomnia and want to know the best ways to treat it, you have landed at the right place today. Here you will learn about the benefits of yoga for insomnia and how yoga and sleep quality are connected with each other.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Yoga For Insomnia
Insomnia is a disorder leading to trouble in falling or staying asleep. People who suffer from this might have to take regular medicines to sleep. This makes them prone to the risk of addiction to these drugs. Sleep plays a vital role in brain development. The brain performs various tasks while we are asleep like repairing and renewing tissues, and nerve cells, organizing memory, and integrating information. If we do not get adequate sleep the ability of our brain to perform tasks reduces. Sleeping at least for eight hours is very important for all.
Yoga that has tremendous benefits of improving core strength, flexibility, and reducing stress levels also helps in better sleep especially for those suffering from insomnia. If you don’t get proper sleep a single day, it makes you feel dull the whole day. Yoga energizes you, improves blood circulation, and relieves stress thereby leading to the overall relaxation of mind and body. People who perform yoga for insomnia regularly tend to experience better sleep quality, sleep for longer, and feel more energized during the day.
How Does Yoga Help Treat Insomnia?
Some specific yoga poses help you release everything you hold onto physically and mentally, have a stress-free mind, and sleep better. These yoga poses benefit those who have insomnia, sleep lightly, or hardly get time to sleep.
List of Yoga Poses for Insomnia
Below are the best yoga for sleep to do daily that would keep your mentally and physically healthy. Yoga helps in improving breathing and reducing stress. The increased flow of oxygen in the body removes toxins and helps calm the mind.
1. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Sitting or standing in the same position for long hours often creates tension and stiffness in the back and spine. This uncomfortable feeling makes it difficult to sleep well. Supine spinal twist, also named Supta Matsyendrasana can be a savior. This is an excellent way to detoxify the organs and strengthen the spine. It does this all while your body rests. As a result, your body releases all the negative energy, your spine feels relaxed, and you get relief from insomnia.
Steps
- Lie down on your back.
- Take both the arms towards the sides.
- Lift your legs and bend the knees at 90 degrees.
- Inhale and bring your knees towards the chest.
- While exhaling twist legs towards the right.
- Touch your knee on the floor.
- Relax sine and shoulder.
- Your head can face towards the ceiling or wall.
- Be in the posture for a few breathes and repeat on another side.
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2. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
If you are looking for yoga to relieve insomnia and anxiety, Child’s pose is one the best yoga exercises to soothe your mind. This pose is also known as Balasana or Sharnagat Mudra. The practice of this asana releases tension from the back, spine, and chest. It also stretches the hip, thighs, legs, and ankles. In short, this yoga pose keeps the whole body relaxed. Additionally, it keeps the mind free from anxiety and negative thoughts. Therefore you enter into a complete state of relaxation and comfort. As a result, you can sleep better and longer.
Steps
- Take a tabletop position.
- Bring the tip of the toe together and place your knees apart.
- Start falling allowing your hips to come down closer to your feet.
- Extend the lower back and push it forward.
- Stretch your body forward and bend your head down.
- Keep breathing here for a while.
- Hold the pose and then release it after a few minutes.
3. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
The reclining bound angle pose, also named Supta Baddha Konasana, keeps your body and mind stress-free and beautifully relaxed. If you are suffering from mild depression or having any anxiety or tension, this asana positively affects your mind. And with a relaxed body and mind, you can sleep better.
Steps
- Lie straight on a mat.
- Bend your knees to bring the bottom of feet together to touch.
- Relax your shoulders.
- Stay in the pose and breathe slowly.
- Hold the pose for few minutes and then release the pose slowly.
4. Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall pose)
If you do not have much time to practice too many yoga poses to improve your sleep quality, try Leg up the wall pose. Accompanied by regulated breathing, this pose relaxes the body and mind. It also helps in releasing stress and anxiety. When you stretch your legs up and keep them higher than your heart, gravity helps the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid all over your body. This way, your mind becomes more focused and the nerves become calm. With a relaxed body and calm nerves, you get a good sleep for a long period of time.
Steps
- Lie down on the back.
- Place your feet together and hands on the side of the body.
- Lift both the legs up and bring them behind.
- Bring the legs back and hold them in a vertical position.
- Give a support of hands to the hip bone.
- Hold the pose for a few breathes and then release gently.
5. Legs on a Chair Pose
This is another yoga pose, effective in treating insomnia. If you find difficulty in doing the leg up the wall pose, try this yoga pose instead. It relieves the stress from your spine muscle and the lower back. Practicing it daily calms your nervous system and helps you feel at ease. Consequently, you can sleep well and wake up fresh every day.
Steps
- Lie down on a mat.
- Place a chair in front of you not too high or too low.
- Keep the legs on the chair and knees at 90 degrees.
- Close your eyes and relax for a few minutes.
6. Shavasana
This pose rejuvenates the mind, body, and soul. It is also known as the conclusion of yoga asanas. It helps in getting rid of stress and relaxes the whole body by bringing awareness to each body part one by one.
Steps
- Lie on the back.
- Relax your legs, pelvic region, shoulders, and hands.
- Keep the feet apart and palm facing the ceiling
- Close the eyes and bring awareness to each body part one by one.
- Keep breathing properly and relax.
Yoga and Sleep Quality: How Yoga Helps Treat Sleeplessness
According to a report by National Health Statistics, over 80% of people who do yoga daily accepted it helps reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and make you feel better emotionally. The breathing exercise and meditation in yoga help manage stress, relax the mind and alleviate insomnia symptoms. Another study related to yoga for sleeplessness says, by keeping yoga exercises in their daily routine, older people can have better sleep and improve their quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Does yoga make you more awake?
Absolutely not. On the contrary, yoga has a significant impact on people who have insomnia or limited time to sleep. It helps calm the mind and relax it. As a result, you can sleep quicker and better.
- How long before bedtime should I do yoga?
You can do yoga just before bedtime to release anxiety, stress, and tension, go to a complete state of relaxation and sleep better.
- Can we do yoga at night after dinner?
Keep your dinner light, and there are specific yoga poses you can try once you finish your dinner. These yoga asanas help in the digestion process. If you have a heavy dinner, avoid doing yoga right after it.
Final thoughts,
Practicing yoga daily is beneficial for those having sleeping concerns. Whether you want to sleep longer or deeper, certain yoga poses can help you achieve exactly what you want. To see the best result, you need to stay consistent.
What are you waiting for? Include the above-discussed yoga poses in your daily exercise routine and improve sleep quality. And when you have better sleep, your quality of life gets improved. So, practice yoga and say goodbye to sleeplessness forever.
