Can Yoga Help You Get a Better Nights Sleep?

It is well documented that there are many pleasures and benefits from partaking in regular sessions of yoga.

From improved breathing to increased physical strength and flexibility, from enhanced focus to the reduction of stress and anxiety, yoga is proven to help people in a variety of ways. However, what is lesser known are its benefits to our sleep.

Here at Sleepy People, we are always looking for new and interesting ways to help you get a better night’s sleep. In the past, we have brought you everything from 14 different foods, sleep gadgets and the art of napping.

With this in mind, here are all the facts as to why yoga can help you sleep better.

 

 

Insomniac Study

Back in 2012, a study carried out by researchers at the Harvard Medical School looked to find how daily yoga sessions might affect sleep for people with insomnia.

There a number of different types of insomnia. Primary insomnia is sleeplessness which occurs without the influence of other health problems or sleep disorders. Secondary insomnia is either part of or a consequence of other medical issues or disorders.

Taking people with both forms of insomnia, the researchers gave the subjects yoga training, before getting them to partake in daily sessions over the course of 8 weeks. During the research period, each participant recorded sleep diaries, as well as the two weeks prior.

Twenty people completed the study and after analysing all of their sleep diary results, the researchers found improvements in:

  • Sleep onset latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep)
  • Total wake time
  • Total sleep time
  • Wake after sleep onset
  • Sleep efficiency.

Another study looked into the effects of yoga on 410 cancer survivors. The results of this also proved that yoga improved their sleep quality, reduced fatigue, and frequency of use of sleep medication as well as an overall improved sense of the quality of life.

 

 

How it Works

Unlike many other forms of exercise, Yoga is a lot less vigorous. Yoga’s gentle tempo is fantastic for our breathing and the promotion of relaxation, too essential tools in tackling things like stress and anxiety which often contribute to sleep disorders.

Exercise is generally proven to help us sleep. As the National Sleep Foundation outline, people sleep much better if they manage to get at least 150 minutes sleep every night.

While exercise raises our heart rate, doing it a few hours before bed actually allows our bodies to relax better as a result of doing it. This is the case for any mode of exercise but is increased in yoga because of the much steadier and gentle approach.

Breathing techniques are also a big part of yoga, and learning these can help us when it comes to bed time.

 

 

Specific Routines

There are many different yoga routines and positions which are said to help improve our health in a number of different ways.

Thankfully, one of these is specifically targeted to help those who struggle to sleep. Its name is Yoga Nidra. This is known as one of the deepest forms of meditation which can take the participant into a very deep state of relaxation.

Yoga Nidra mostly involves lying down and being talked through meditation by an instructor. It is based on breathing routines and visualisation, all of which come together to take the participant into a relaxing, sleepy state.

There are other yoga techniques which can also aid sleep, take a look at this article from CNN which explains 5 different yoga routines which you can try.

Whatever your predisposition to yoga is, if you sometimes struggle to get off to sleep or suffer from a sleep disorder, it is well worth trying. You might also find that it improves your health in other areas too.