A study has shown yoga practice of as less as only 25 minutes per day for six weeks can improve the subjective sleep status with improved psychological and emotional well being The improvement in sleep quality can be an instantaneous effect in some cases but it is mostly a long term benefit of yoga Studies show that regular yoga practice can
Improve overall sleep quality
Resulting in fewer episodes of sleep disturbance
Reduce the time taken to fall asleep
Bring down the need for sleep medications
Reduce snoring interference
Reduce daytime fatigue related dysfunctions
How yoga benefits long term sleep quality
Yoga has a beneficial effect on different functions and organs of your body When these benefits are continued for an extended period the long term sleep quality is improved A regular yoga practice fetches the perfect blend of physical exhaustion and stimulation of different regions of your brain which eventually lead to sound sleep
Yoga tires your mind and body to promote sleep
The yoga exercises and stretches exhaust your muscle tissues As they are exhausted your body detects the need to repair these tissues Repairing automatically needs nutrients and for the synthesis of these nutrients your body needs to go through the metabolic activities that take place during your sleep Thus the physical exhaustion will automatically trigger your mind into entering the stages of sleep
Yoga keeps your mind stress free for sound sleep
Stress not only increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol but also disrupts the balance of many other hormones and chemicals important to proper sleep
In yoga there are several hand gestures that on hold for a few minutes can stimulate your hormone secreting glands metabolic activities and the CNS for proper functioning These are some simple yoga mudras for better sleep With proper interactions of hormones chemical reactions and neural stimulations stress is effectively managed and thus sleep is promoted
Yoga promotes sleep with neurological benefits
Yoga poses can train both your Peripheral nervous systems and Central nervous system and further the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves A better performing overall nervous system will have improved cognition concentration awareness and mindfulness These key benefits will allow you to focus on falling asleep managing stress and staying away from distractions
Further efficiently functioning sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves will optimize functions like constriction of pupils light sensitivity in the eye contraction and relaxation of heart muscles constriction and relaxation of lung airways and stimulate metabolic activities in the abdominal region Your sound sleep will heavily rely on the healthy functioning of these mechanisms
Yoga regulates your cardiovascular health for sleep
Regular yoga exercise keeps your heart and cardiovascular systems inappropriate health required for sound sleep Yoga maintains proper autonomic nervous functions metabolic rates and hormonal activities that generate optimum heart rate and blood pressure
A proper heart rate and blood pressure will alleviate stress and increase nutrition to the body tissues Eventually promoting a healthy state of body and mind for sleep A disorder of the cardiovascular system can also cause disturbance as you sleep
Yoga monitors proper respiration for sound sleep
Regular yoga training stimulates autonomic nerves and cardiovascular functions to enrich the respiratory activities during the day and while you sleep With proper respiration your body will get the healthy amount of oxygen required for different chemical processes within your body chemical processes that are integral to your sleep
An obstructed breathing due to constriction of the airways and air passages can also cause disturbance to your sleep sleep apnea and snoring are two common examples Reducing snoring with yoga exercises is the easiest way you can work in order to improve the quality of sleep
Yoga optimizes the hormones and chemicals required for sleep
On the basis of many of the functions and benefits mentioned in the previous points lies the role of different sleep promoting chemicals and hormones Yoga regulates such chemicals and hormones for sound sleep
Yoga can have an impact on a chemical called Adenosine the buildup of which tends to increase sleep pressure Yoga poses have also shown influence on neurotransmitters involved in the sleep process like GABA orexin serotonin and acetylcholine
Yoga also has a strong impact on sleep regulating hormones like melatonin cortisol adrenaline norepinephrine HGH leptin and ghrelin These hormones and chemicals together regulate a complex system of signaling in your brain that manages the sleep wake homeostasis and the circadian alerting system
7 Yoga Poses You Can Do on Bed for Sound Sleep
We have already discussed the benefits and functions of yoga that lead to sound sleep However think of the timing of the practice as well As some poses can be practiced during any time of the day whilst some poses are better practiced in the morning In the context of meals some yoga poses can be practiced post meal whilst some mandatorily require practicing on an empty stomach To rid you of this confusion let us stick with the sleep benefiting poses that you can perform before bedtime irrespective of everything else
Childs pose
The childs pose will benefit your sleep by influencing the hormonal and metabolic activities in your body The childs pose is extremely useful in optimizing your blood pressure and reducing your stress levels
Kneel down on your bed
Keep your knees and feet joined
Keep your upper body straight
Bend and fold your knees and sit back on your heels
Raise your hands straight overhead
Bend forward all the way to touch your chest to your knees
Rest your hands on the bed but keep your hands extended over your head
Reach farther from your head with your hands and stretch your upper body and shoulders
Slightly push downwards with your chest and rest your head on the bed
Breathe consciously and hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute
Modification Keep a bolster or pillow in front of you and rest your body and head on it Hug around the bolster or pillow and grip it nicely Alternatively you can simply put a small cushion under your forehead to rest your head
Extended puppy pose
An extended puppy can be put in sequence with the childs pose This pose retains all the benefits of the Childs pose and adds an extra layer of muscle flexibility and nervous stimulation An extended puppy will also help enhance respiratory functions
Get into the childs pose
Now from the childs pose slide forward with your arms extended in front and chest pushed down
Slide forward to a point where your buttocks come off your heels and in the air and your thighs are at 90 degrees to the bed
Ideally your hips should come up over your knees
Hold this pose for about 20 30 seconds and slide back to the childs pose and release
Modification You wont be able to use the bolster in this pose like you would in the childs pose Instead to facilitate the sliding you can use a yoga wheel You can also stretch out your legs at the back straight with your heels over your toes
Cobra pose
Cobra pose will lay the foundation of CNS stimulation to your sleep yoga routine This pose will benefit the complex neural activities required in your brain to establish the sleep stages The cobra pose will also provide the much needed muscle exhaustion for sleep Cobra pose is also beneficial to your cardiovascular and respiratory systems
Lie on the bed with the front of the body to the bed
Keep the legs hip width apart
Place the palms against the bed by the sides of the chest
Push against the bed and arch up your body
Keep arching up till the hands straighten and chest and head faces the front
Press the shoulders firmly down and push out the chest
Feel the spine arching evenly from the lumbar region to the top
Keep the pelvis touched to the bed
Hold the pose for 5 breaths and repeat the pose thrice
Modifications Remember you will not be able to perform this pose if your mattress has very soft and plush cushioning You will need firm bedding Also before arching up you can place your hands by the sides of your head The hand placement varies from person to person especially depending on the length of the spine
Reclining bound angle pose
Reclining the bound angle pose will help you relieve your stress and anxiety before going to bed This pose will enhance blood flow hormonal activities and metabolism activities
Sit in a staff pose
Bend and fold up your knees
Open your knees on either side and let your knees fall toward the bed
Dont touch the bed with your knees maintain a little gap between your knees and the bed
As you let down your knees on either side join the sole of your feet together
After your legs are wide open in a bound angle pose gradually recline back
Recline back all the way till you are lying on the bed
Extend and relax your arms straight at the sides of your body
Breathe comfortably and rest for 30 seconds in this pose You can go up to a minute
Modification As you lie back recline on a bolster You can place the bolster such that your entire backrests on it or you can simply slide it under your lumbar region to lift the lumbar curve and drop down your shoulders on the bed
Supine spinal twist
Supine spinal twist stimulates your autonomic nervous functions that play a critical role in sleep stages The supine twist will also improve your respiratory functions for better oxygen management and abdominal functions for chemical activities
Lie supine on the bed
Extend both your arms straight outward at the sides of your body
Bend and fold up your right knee
Take your right foot to the left side of your left knee
Place the right foot against the left side of your left knee
Hold your right knee with your left hand and pull the right knee towards the bed on your left to create a twist in your torso
Pull down your right knee till it touches the bed
Extend the right arm towards the right and keep your upper body centered
Breathe comfortably and hold the pose for 7 10 breaths
Repeat the twist on the other side
Modification With an example of when you twist to your left side with the right arm extending out place a pillow under the right arm and a pillow under your knees on the left side
Wind relieving pose
Wind relieving pose will essentially boost your digestion that will aid the metabolism of your body The wind relieving pose will augment your cardiovascular functions especially your cardiac movements
Lie supine on the bed
Keep your legs joined
Bend and fold up your knees
Draw them closer to your body to touch the chest with your knees
Hug your knees firmly pressing them against your chest
Breathe consciously and lift up your head to bury it between your knees
Hold the pose for 10 seconds and repeat the pose thrice
Modification You can rest your head on a pillow You can also try the pose with one leg at a time while the other leg stretched straight normally
Corpse pose
The corpse pose is a very holistic pose that has some degree of benefit to every existing mechanism in your body However the efficiency of this pose depends largely on your ability to concentrate and focus
Lie down on the bed supine
Slightly extend your legs wide apart
Stretch out your arms at the sides of your body and let them rest
Close your eyes and breathe consciously
Focus on each muscle group in your body
As you focus on each muscle group inhale deep
Concentrate and focus on relaxing the muscle group
Continue this pose till you have covered relaxing all the muscle groups in your body
Do not forget systematic breathing
You can occasionally deep breathe
Modification You can cover your eyes with a towel to reduce exposure to light and combine the pose with scent therapy and music therapy
Conclusion
Yoga can be a great way to wind down at the end of the day and get some sleep If you use a yoga routine before bed to calm your mind and relax your body you put yourself in an excellent position for a good nights rest Follow these seven yoga tips to get better sleep
Sleep is important and a lot of people dont sleep as well as they should If you or a loved one live in Alaska and have chronic sleep issues call Alaska Sleep Clinic for your FREE sleep assessment 907 420 0540
