Yoga Therapy for Insomnia: The Ultimate Guide
Many people have trouble sleeping. Sometimes people try different things to help them sleep, like eating the right food or buying new pillows. But if none of those things work, it might be because you have insomnia. Insomnia is when you can’t sleep at night. Don’t worry, though; you’re not alone!
Sleeping might be difficult without enough sleep. It’s anxiety and stress. But not getting enough sleep makes the next day even harder. It’s a cycle that is dangerous to your health. You might think you can make up for lost sleep on another day, but this isn’t true.
Insomnia can cause more than just being tired during the day. According to research, not getting enough sleep increases your risk of anxiety, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure. And it causes your skin to age faster than usual. Insomnia can also make you feel confused and out of control. It is because your body isn’t able to rejuvenate while you are sleeping.
If you want to sleep for 6 to 8 hours, don’t worry. You can do it. I’m not talking about taking some sleeping pills before bed. Instead, try going the natural way. Long-practiced yoga is a great way to relieve stress, and it also helps with insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Practicing yoga will increase your endurance, help build confidence, and calm your mind. It will help improve your mood and stop you from sleeping too much or too little.
So, what are you waiting for? Start doing these yoga poses tomorrow morning to relax.
Yoga Poses For Insomnia
1. Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose):
Take a seat on the ground in a position that is most convenient for you. Breathe out and fold your legs close to your body. Touch the soles of your feet, and ensure that your knees are dropped to the sides. Hold your thumb and ensure the foot soles remain together and are pressed to the ground. Once comfortable, stretch through your torso and squeeze your shoulder blades firmly to your back. Breathe in and out normally. Hold for 1 minute, take a 30-second break, then repeat five times.
Benefits:
This pose can help fluids move more freely through the body. It also stretches the hip, groin, inner thighs, and knees. Doing this pose can help you relax after working for a long time and make sleeping easier.
2. Uttanasana (Forward Bent Pose):
While standing, bring your feet close to each other. Bend your body downwards without bending your knees. Keep your knees straight. You can hold this position for 8-10 breaths before getting back up.
Benefits:
This inverted posture is known as Padahasthasana. This posture is essential for increasing your immunity and protecting your body from infections. In addition, this posture stimulates the nervous system and increases blood circulation throughout the body. This posture also stretches the back and neck, which helps eliminate insomnia.
3. Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall Pose):
Initially, sit next to an empty wall. Place your back against the wall and lean your thighs against it while lying on the floor. Rest your back and spinal column on the floor and relax your arms on either side of your stomach. Hold this position for 10 minutes or as long as you can before slowly moving back to the starting position.
Benefits:
“Legs Up The Wall” is a comfortable position when you lie flat on the ground with your legs up the wall. It releases stress and fatigue from the hip area by removing obstructions, thus sending fresh blood flow to the CNS. It also relieves headaches, soothes the mind, and bestows a peaceful sleep.
4. Balasana (Baby Pose):
5. Start kneeling on the ground with your back straight to do this pose. Then, slowly lean forward until your thighs touch your chest. Keep bending until your head is past your knee and touching the ground. Straighten your arms backward on either side of you with your palms down, and hold this position for 20-25 seconds. Take a few seconds of break, and then repeat 2-3 times.
Benefits:
The Baby Pose is one of the best postures for a good night’s sleep. The posture is very relaxing and helps stretch your spine and back. It can help to calm your mind and make it easier to fall asleep.
5. Shavasana (Corpse Pose):
Close your eyes as you lie down on your back and get comfortable. Relax your body and mind. Think of happy, peaceful thoughts. Take your time while you do this. Breathe normally, and don’t hold your breath. After some time, stand up.
Benefits:
In the “Legs Up The Wall Posture,” you lie flat on the ground with little to no twisting. It marks the end of the yoga session, relaxes the body, and calms the mind. This pose also improves concentration, patience, and mental well-being.
Read more: How To Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga Therapy for Insomnia
Yoga Nidra helped improve sleep quality, insomnia severity, depression anxiety, and stress scores.
The effective treatment for persistent sleep issues is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or CBT-I. It is usually the first line of treatment that doctors will recommend.
The benefits of yoga Nidra meditation include helping to calm the sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for our fight-or-flight response. Meditation activates the relaxation and sleep-inducing parasympathetic nervous system.
Insomnia is not usually a medical or mental illness but a symptom of another disease. If you are experiencing trouble sleeping, you should consult your doctor. Many things can cause insomnia, like your lifestyle or work schedule.
