Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? From demanding jobs to busy classes, it is no surprise most of us have trouble falling asleep at night. As we quickly check WebMD for why it is we can’t seem to fall asleep at night (and are smart enough to not convince ourselves that we are dying). I think the important question to answer isn’t ‘why’ we can’t fall asleep at night, but rather, what are some solutions to help us fall asleep at night.
Many of us have our own methods to falling asleep. Maybe we like to read before bed, watch the news, or the simple method of counting back from 100. However, if you are finding that those methods don’t help you fall asleep, and you also find staying asleep is a problem, we may have a solution for you… Why not try Yoga! As we have previsouly there are many benefits of yoga, in the minda and the body, I think it is important to also understand how much yoga benefits your sleep!
In a study done by the National Sleep Foundation, it was found that millions of Americans are getting nowhere near the 7 to 9 hours of sleep needed to stay optimal throughout the day. This, in turn, tells us that there are many people who suffer from this problem. Thus, scientists recommend trying yoga. In a recent study conducted at Harvard Medical School, researchers investigated how a daily yoga practice might affect sleep for people suffering from insomnia. What was found was that after eight weeks of this study they saw significant improvements in participants’ sleep quality and quantity.
What is happening to your body?
So what exactly is happening to your body when you are practicing yoga? Well, first, yoga helps to relax the nervous system, which is the part of your body responsible for a restful sleep. Additionally, yoga’s meditative aspect comes into play to quiet the mind. Simply meaning that if you can’t sleep because you have a lot of things on your mind and they can’t stop racing then performing yoga at any point during the day may offer you some relief. Some poses that are known to help you sleep more soundly are uttanasana, halasana, or savasana. These are great to do just before you jump into bed as they should put your body into a relaxed state, making it easier for you to drift off into dreamland.
In conclusion, why yoga? It is because yoga is designed to deliver blood flow from your head to your toes, from the inside out, while generating a tremendous amount of new oxygen back to the blood stream and all internal organs. Understanding the struggles that many people experience in their life is insomnia, and due to a hectic lifestyle, business owners, students, and working professionals face is the main reason why they will find themselves laying awake at night, preoccupied with their thoughts. If you are one of these people who habitually do not get a good night’s sleep, incorporating yoga into your daily routine may just be the trick!