Yoga for insomnia aids in creating an alignment in the body and mind to ensure mindfulness and agility of the body. You can induce long hours of sleep by combining physical postures, alertness of your body, and breath control. Lack of sleep is a rising concern among ageing individuals and youth. Especially after the menopause stages and during pregnancy, women are also found to face insomnia. Working on yoga poses every day can help in reducing stress and inducing a sense of calmness in the mind.
If you are facing stress-related insomnia, then certain yoga postures and poses that we are about to share can help you cure the issue.
Yoga For Insomnia: Does It Help?
Often, before we begin anything, a question comes to our mind whether the outcomes are effective. In the case of yoga for insomnia, you will surely find benefits if you are consistent and doing it right. That’s why it is essential to know which are the right steps so you don’t end up with unnecessary sprains or aches.
Combining conscious breathing with strength and flexibility, yoga for insomnia can aid in effectively reducing the level of stress and inducing peaceful slumber. While some of these yoga poses focus mainly on spirituality and tapping into one’s inner core, some involve flexibility and movement. If you combine both kinds, the outcomes will gradually work in your favour. Especially women with insomnia who have already tried all types of medication and found it futile can focus on yoga poses to better the situation.
Types Of Yogas That Help With Insomnia
Although yoga is generally helpful for several health issues, not all poses can benefit you when it comes to inducing sleep and curing insomnia. For instance, yoga poses like hot yoga or Vinyasa can increase the heart rate; hence, it will not be useful for creating a sense of calmness in the body.
On the other hand, low-intensity forms of yoga are beneficial when you are facing insomnia. These include-
- Gentle Hatha Yoga- There are several sub-categories of yoga for insomnia, one of which is termed Gentle or Hatha Yoga. You need to slowly sway your body in these forms and, in the process, create synchronisation. These yogas are used to calm down your heart and hence do not involve hardcore movement. If you are looking for yoga for insomnia, practice Gentle hatha yoga before you head off to bed at night.
- Restorative / Yin Yoga- Here is another form of yoga for insomnia. It is concerned with inducing sleep, especially when you are facing a stressful schedule. In this yoga for insomnia, you need to engage in a lot of stretching and then hold the posture for a long time. This way, stability is created in the body, inducing a state of peace and calmness.
- Yoga Nidra– In this kind of yoga, the poses involve lying in the resting posture and aiming to create a state where you can exist in a state between being awake and asleep completely. This way, you are somewhat conscious but in a state of drowsiness to relax the mind. Researches reveal that by practising Nidra yoga for 11 minutes every day, you can induce sleep and observe positive results in just 30 days.
3 Powerful Yoga poses for Better Sleep
Check out the poses and how to perfect them as you practise yoga poses for insomnia before sleep.
Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani)
To perform this pose, you need to initiate the following steps-
- First, you need to sit sideways, resting against the wall. Your legs need to be stretched out in front of your body.
- As you exhale, lower the upper body initially on the floor and swing the legs up and then over the body so it rests against the wall.
- Then, keep your arms on the side and rest it. Allow your palms to face upward. To get some rest, use a prop-like cushion under your sacrum to give support to your lower back.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
To perform the Child’s Pose, you need to initiate the following steps:
- Place your knee on the floor first. Allow the top of your feet then to flatten on the ground.
- Ensure that your arms and feet are placed together. Make sure that your toes are touching.
- Then, balance on the heels of your feet.
- At this point, you need to lean forward. Fold the spine over the legs, ensuring that it touches your forehead. You can place a block under your forehead to give rest.
- Extend your arms that have been resting all this while. Pull it in front of your body. All this while allowing your palm to face down.
Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Here are Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) the steps that you need to follow to acquire this yoga for insomnia posture perfectly.
- To perform this yoga for insomnia pose, first, lie down on your back with your legs and arms stretched out straight.
- Bend your knees first and then draw your feet towards the pelvis. Your pose should be such that your feet touch each other.
- Then interlock your fingers and rest them on your stomach.
Insomnia can be a dreadful condition to manage. Reach out to the finest yoga gurus on FlexifyMe and learn about various yoga for insomnia which can work for you. They will customise plans to help you get fruitful results within a short span. Book your free Demo for online yoga classes today.
Tips To Practise Yoga Poses For Insomnia
The duration for which you are practising yoga for insomnia does not matter as long as you are doing it right and consistently. Here are some tips that can help you get started.
- Create a calm environment around you- While you are practising yoga for insomnia, make sure that you are in a space that is dimly lit. The rooms should also be calm, without any chaos around you. A pleasant sound and soothing light with a sweet fragrance is effective for reducing insomnia. Perhaps you can use a diffuse essential oil, which can help create a sensation of calmness and focus. In the end, you need to create a connection between yoga and sleep for an aligned state of mind.
- Pick a regular timing schedule- It is recommended that you pick a particular time of the day to practise yoga. A specific time will help you have a regular circadian rhythm, which is essential for the induction of sleep. You might choose to do yoga right before you wake up or before going to bed. Be consistent with your clock and increase the duration gradually.
- Loose nightwear while practising- You can change into a yoga outfit or choose to wear loose night clothes so that you feel relaxed and go to bed right after the session.
- Begin slow but steady- There is no need to exert yourself at the beginning of the sessions. Initially, you should go slow and gentle on yourself. Listen to your body to understand which yoga poses for insomnia suit you the best. Moreover, as a beginner, you might find it hard to remain focused for a long time, and hence you need to schedule shorter periods.
Some Prenatal Yoga Precautions
Lack of sleep during pregnancy is a very common condition that is observed in many women. Hence, in the prenatal stage, a mother has to take significant precautions to ensure safety while practising yoga for insomnia. We have listed some of them for you below.
- Avoid lying down on your back- After 16 to 20 weeks into the stage of pregnancy, a woman should avoid lying on the floor while facing their back. Even lying on your stomach is avoided during this time. While performing this yoga for insomnia, you can use a cushion to support your uterus.
- Do not overexert yourself- Never exert yourself to go beyond and more than you can manage to do in a single session. Perform yoga as much as your body permits without hurting.
- Always stay hydrated- Do not let your body get dehydrated during the session, and continue to drink water while you perform the steps.
- Avoid any form of hot yoga- Avoid raising the core of your body and engaging in intense exercises like hot yoga that can potentially hurt one or lead to miscarriage.
- Avoid switching postures instantly- Keep your breathing consistent while you perform the poses, and do not transition from one stage to another instantly.
- Immediately stop if it is hurting- During the sessions, if you feel out of breath or dizzy, immediately avoid and drink fluids in plenty.
Bottom line
Hindustan Times also published atricle about Indulge in mind-body therapy through poses like yoga for insomnia. There are many forms of yoga that you can practice to induce sleep and enter a relaxed state of mind.
Whether it is Yin Yoga or Hatha Yoga that you are practising, give your sessions some time to show the beneficial effects. Some good poses for taking care of sleep disorders include butterfly pose, child pose, corpse pose for curing insomnia, and so on. Try practising them shortly before going to bed, and you will eventually find it beneficial. Although under conditions of age, chronic aches or pregnancy, you need to keep these precautions in mind.