Does yoga help sleep? There is nothing new about insomnia. At times, it’s easy to pinpoint the underlying cause for the inability to nod off and achieve the deep sleep your mind and body needs to be healthy. Here I listed the 3 best yoga poses that help you to sleep better. The Yoga Nidra for sleep is very helpful for your deep sleep.
While sleeplessness is always a good reason to talk with your doctor, it never hurts to consider a few lifestyle changes that will help your mind wind down and prepare for the sleep you need. Yoga is one approach that many people find helpful when it comes to banishing those sleepless nights.
Understanding the Basics
Yoga is a discipline that addresses the needs of the mind as well as the body. The approach involves learning to understand and control the breathing process, ways to meditate, and also how to use different poses to strengthen the function of the body and the mind. It’s the latter quality that you want to focus on if you are having trouble sleeping.
Does yoga help sleep? yes, doing yoga before sleeping, promotes a good deep sleep. Yoga Nidra is also very helpful to induce sleeping.
Yoga Poses that Can Help You Prepare for Sleep Better
Some yoga poses are intended to restore natural balance to the body and mind. In the best-case scenario, that means enjoying mental clarity and sufficient energy to get through the day coupled with the ability to center the mind and get to sleep at night.
For this reason, it pays to understand that some poses are better suited for use earlier in the day while others will be more effective in helping you rest comfortably at night. Here are some examples that fall into the latter category. Here I listed the 3 best yoga poses that help you to sleep better. The Yoga Nidra for sleep is very helpful for your deep sleep.
1. Uttanasana
Uttanasana, or Standing Forward Fold, is a simple yet effective posture to help relax and calm the mind. It is one of the best yoga poses that help you to sleep better. By breathing deep, even breaths, you are working to put the mind at ease.
- Begin with your feet at hip distance apart and a slight bend in the knees.
- Reach up and take a deep breath to lengthen, and then exhale, folding forward at the hips.
- Breathe in and feel the expansion of your skin in the torso, then exhale and lengthen the crown of your head toward the floor.
- Hold this pose for eight to ten breaths, and release the pose by keeping a strong foundation in the legs and rolling up to a standing position.
2. Upavistha Konasana
The Upavistha Konasana is sometimes called the Seated Wide Angle Pose. This one does require some room, so make use of a sofa or your bed for this one.
- Sit upright with your back as straight as possible.
- Splay your legs as widely as you can and still be comfortable.
- Place a pillow directly in front of your body and take in a deep breath.
- As you slowly exhale, lower your torso until it’s resting on the pillow.
- Hold the position as you inhale and exhale eight to ten times. Return to the upright position and do a few more repetitions.
3. Salabhasana
The Salabhasana or Locust Pose also requires plenty of room to stretch out. Your bed, the sofa, or a yoga mat on the floor will suffice. Stretch out in a face down position with a pillow under your tummy area. This helps to provide support to the torso and the lower back.
- While keeping your neck straight, intertwine your fingers behind your back.
- As you keep the arms straight and your fingers joined, take a deep breath.
- Slowly lift your arms upward and exhale when you reach as far towards the back of the mat as you can.
- Take in another breath and seek to raise your head and chest upward while keeping your hands in the air.
- Inhale and hold the position for as long as you can, then exhale as you lower your head and allow your arms to move downward.
- Repeat several times before calling it a day.
In a Nutshell,
There are other poses that you can master with relative ease. Choosing to take yoga classes and discussing your sleep pattern with an instructor will make it possible to find the right poses for use at home. Here I listed the 3 best yoga poses that help you to sleep better. The Yoga Nidra for sleep is very helpful for your deep sleep. These 3 yoga poses for sleep are essential to promote good night sleep as well.
Along with the poses, consider investing in ear buds or headphones that help to block common nighttime noises and provide you with sounds that help your mind to relax and the stress to drain from your body. After a few nights of sleeping better, you’ll notice that your temperament during the day is more positive and you don’t seem to tire as quickly.
