“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.” – Mahatma Gandhi
We often wake up from sleep already feeling tired, don’t we? If this happens on a regular basis then you must do yoga for sleep.
He means that when we sleep like we are dead we wake up with a new birth and start fresh. We often sleep with a lot of stress about the future and thoughts of the past which reduces the quality of sleep.
Your quality of sleep should be to an extent where there is no past or future. This can only be achieved by a very convenient method called YOGA.
There are multiple yoga poses for sleep that you can practiced before going to bed.
How Poor Sleep Quality Affect Us?
According to the sleep foundation, ‘Adults between 18-65 need 8-9 hours of sleep at night. If this is not happening due to any reason, it can gave you multiple health issues.’
These issues consist of fatigue, fever, anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, and many more.
To avoid these diseases the quality of sleep must be good enough which can be achieved by practicing yoga.
How Yoga Helps To Improve Your Sleep?
Nowadays many people suffering from poor quality of sleep, sleep deprivation, insomnia, or other sleep disorders.
Yoga for sleep improvement can be practiced in many ways and there are many other benefits which you’ll get like mindfulness, weight loss, increase in melatonin, decrease in cortisol which directly or indirectly helps to sleep better, as per sleep foundation.
Best Yoga Poses For Better Sleep
Yoga is known to relax your body and mind. Try these best relaxing yoga for sleep and deep healing.
Props Required:
- Yoga mat
- Yoga strap & block (Optional)
1. Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Hold for 20 deep breaths.
Benefits: Improves the quality of sleep, reduces stress, relieves backache, improves blood circulation.
How to do:
- Sit straight with your legs extended in Dandasana and then place legs one by one below the buttocks and sit on it. The one big toe is touching the other and heels are apart.
- Now bend forward such that the belly touches your thighs and extend your arms forward.
- Place forehead on the mat.
If you’ll feel any discomfort, place the yoga block or a cushion below the forehead to be more comfortable. Keep your knees apart, if feel any breathing disturbance.
2. Viparita karani (Feet To The Wall):
Hold for 20-30 deep breaths.
Benefits: Relieves stress, soothes headaches and leg pains, induce better sleep.
How to do:
- Lie down on the mat placed vertically closer to the wall.
- Place the leg up on the wall such that you make 90 degrees with the wall.
- The legs are up and the torso is down on the mat.
- Stretch the arms above the head and place them in a relaxed manner.
- If you have discomfort in keeping the arms up due to problems like frozen shoulders you can even place it on the abdomen.
- Lie down in this way and observe the breath being calm and relaxed.
After a long stressful day, this yoga pose can majorly help you to induce sleep and relaxation fast during night.
3. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Hold for 20 deep breaths.
Benefits: Relieves backache, reduces stress.
How to do:
- Sit with legs extended on the mat.
- Feet will be together pointed in the roof, back is straight. Seeing that you’re sitting on your seat bones will give better stretch to the body.
- Start with dandasana, inhaling, take both your arms up near the ears and palms facing towards each other, exhaling, and bend forward trying to touch the hand to the toes.
- In case if the hamstrings are too stiff one can use the yoga strap as well. Take 20 deep breaths there and then come up inhaling again.
First yoga class? Prepare yourself with these amazing yoga tips on first class.
4. Supta Bhadrasana (Reclining Butterfly)
Hold for 3-5 minutes.
Benefits: deep relaxation, hip opening, back pain relief, hormonal balance.
How to do:
- Lie down on your back with legs extended and arms placed near the hip.
- Now bend your knees such that the knees and feet are together.
- Drop both your knees apart and feet touching each other making the shape of the butterfly with the legs.
- Place your hand above the head while the arms are relaxed or place it on the abdomen.
- Observe the breath and belly rising up as you inhale and down as you exhale, keep the heart as open and colorful as a butterfly and feel lighter and relaxed in the head in the same way.
5. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
Hold for 3 to 5 minute.
Sukhasana as the name says – induces bliss or sukha.
Benefits: Blissful state of mind, good sleep, less stress, positive approach.
How to do:
- Sit on your mat with extended legs.
- Cross your right leg below the left thigh and then the other leg below the opposite thigh.
- If one person is uncomfortable they can choose to do opposite legs too.
- Arms are placed on the thigh palm downwards and back straight. Keep your eyes closed and observe the inhalations and complete and gradual exhalations.
6. Makarasana (Crocodile Pose)
Hold for 30 deep breath.
Makarasana is a relaxation posture and is a great stress reliever.
Benefits: Reduces bloating, relaxes, improves sleep, relieves lower back pain.
How to do:
- Lie down on your belly, legs straight.
- Stack up your palm and place your forehead on your palm.
- Legs are apart at the width of the mat, heels are facing each other and toes outwards.
7. Dhradasana (The Firm Pose)
Hold on for 20 deep breaths.
Benefits: reduces stress and anxiety, improves sleep, and good for anger management.
How to do:
- Lie down on the right side.
- The head, shoulder and hip in one line. Place the right arm below the head as a cushion and left arms on the hip. Stay there for some deep breaths.
This is a relaxation technique and works on a subtler level to reduce stress and cope with stress-related disorders.
Right before sleeping can be done on the bed too to improve your sleep.
8. Supta Vakrasana (Reclining Twist Pose)
Hold on for 10 deep breaths each side.
Benefits: Increases spine flexibility, back pain relief, asanas for better sleep
How to do:
- Lie on your back on the mat and bend your knees while the knees and feet are together.
- Arms are at shoulder level and extended with palm facing downwards. Inhale, while exhaling drop your knees on one side and face on the other.
There will be a twist to the entire spine giving an instant feeling of relaxation.
9. Pawanmukt-asana (Flatulence Pose)
Hold on for 10 breaths
Benefits: given overall stretch to the body, relaxes thoroughly, improves digestion, improves sleep, releases excess gas from the body.
How to do:
- Lying on the back with legs straight on the mat.
- Bend both of your knees and bring them near the chest.
- Wrap the arms around and hold the legs tight.
- Raise your head and touch your forehead to the knees.
- Stay there for a few deep breaths while holding the posture.
10. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Hold on for 5 to 10 minutes.
Usually the asana does what the name says. It is a great yogic pose or asana for insomnia patients. This yoga for sleep can be used to relax a person’s mind of an insomnia patient and even to relieve body fatigue caused by lack of sleep.
Benefits: yoga for relaxation, reduces anxiety, reduces attachments to things, emotional balances.
How to do:
- Lie down on the mat on your back, legs are extended and arms are by the side of the hip.
- The legs are placed at a comfortable distance, palms facing upwards and the neck is in the center.
- Observe the breath while relaxing the body with each exhalation.
These asanas should be performed everyday early in the morning or right before you are planning to go to sleep, it will definitely help you.
I have had many students who have issues with sleeping and by far yoga for sleep improvement has definitely helped them to improve their quality of sleep.
Yoga is an experiential science and only practicing what I have written above (through my personal experience as well as teaching) can let you experience the results. So, what are you waiting for?
Featured Image: Freepik