Try These Yoga Teacher-Approved Poses for Deeper, Better Sleep Tonight | CNET
- 1 day ago
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In our quest to bring more health and fitness resources to our readers, please enjoy this feature on Yoga and how it can help you get better sleep!
CNET ~ "If you struggle to sleep, yoga can help. A few minutes of gentle stretching before bed helps your body and mind to relax. Yoga can help release any tension you have and calm the nervous system.
Easy moves like Child’s Pose loosen your back and hips, helping quiet the racing thoughts that often keep you awake. This makes it much easier to drift off naturally.
We asked a yoga expert for advice on the best yoga moves you should add to your bedtime routine to help you get better, higher-quality sleep.
How yoga can help you sleep
There’s some science behind why yoga can promote better sleep. Yoga and breathing techniques can calm your nervous system and reduce cortisol levels, which puts your body in a more relaxed state, ideal for helping you fall asleep.
Calming the mind and body
According to Chloe Kernaghan, co-founder of yoga studio Sky Ting, yoga helps you sleep better in two ways: It helps relax a racing mind and calms the nervous system. 'Yoga as a practice is centered around finding stillness in the mind, which more often than not is the opposite state the mind is in when we’re having sleep issues (i.e., your mind is racing),' Kernaghan says.
Yoga includes elements of mindfulness, but it’s also a physical practice known for helping calm the body’s physical stress response, or the nervous system, through breathwork and performing specific poses. Kernaghan explains, 'The physical practice can help calm the nervous system and switch you from sympathetic mode to a parasympathetic mode, ideal for resting and deep sleep.'
Reducing cortisol levels before bed
Research appears to support Kernaghan’s findings, as recent studies suggest that engaging in yoga may lead to reduced levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. The extent of cortisol reduction may vary depending on factors such as the frequency and intensity of yoga practice. Additionally, some studies have shown promising results regarding yoga’s impact on depression symptoms. Yoga can complement traditional treatment approaches and promote overall well-being.
So, what does this mean for your sleep? Well, cortisol levels have a significant influence on sleep patterns. Higher cortisol levels are often associated with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. A study conducted in 2019 found that incorporating yoga into one’s routine can positively affect insomnia symptoms. These findings suggest that practicing yoga may offer potential benefits for improving sleep quality and overall sleep health.
The best yoga poses for sleep
The next time you struggle to fall asleep or catch quality Zs, try these poses in the evening to help you unwind. You can do them all in a sequence if you’d like, or pick and choose a few that feel good to you in the moment.
'You can definitely do poses on your own; sequences are nice because you have someone to guide you through, but if you’re familiar with the postures, doing a few right before bed could be your perfect recipe,' Kernaghan says." ~ CNET
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