Sleep is an important component of health and wellness. There’s nothing quite like waking up feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to face the day.

Despite the efforts of the $70 billion sleep-aid industry, many exhausted people are still searching for ways to get the sleep they need. Unfortunately, sleeping pills are the dominant treatment strategy for insomnia. Sleeping pills don’t work for everyone, have side effects, and do not address the underlying stress that is keeping you awake.

Medical experts are increasingly advising those struggling with poor sleep to first try more natural solutions like yoga. According to “Yoga Can Help With Insomnia” by Psychology Today, “Researchers at Harvard Medical School investigated how a daily yoga practice might affect sleep for people with insomnia and found broad improvements to measurements of sleep quality and quantity.”

Signs your sleep could use improvement include taking too long to fall asleep, waking multiple times with difficulty falling back asleep, overall light and restless sleep, and drowsiness during the day.

 

Yogic Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

 

• Consider having inspirational music or affirmations continuously playing in your bedroom, especially while you sleep. You can keep the volume very low (barely audible) and it will still affect your subconscious.
• Develop the habit to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
• Exercise during the day so the body is ready to rest later. Be mindful of timing; exercising too late in the day can disrupt sleep.
• Avoid bright screens for at least an hour before bed.

 

Food

• Eat your final meal at least 3-4 four hours before going to bed. If you eat early, your digestive system will be free from working overnight. It is easier to get up early in the morning if you don’t eat a late meal.
• Taking a walk after dinner allows your digestive system to finish its work before you go to bed. Sleep is more restful when you are not digesting food at the same time.
• Avoid stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine close to bedtime.

Sleeping Space

• Get the firmest mattress that works for you, in order to support your spine and let your nervous system relax. Soft beds encourage tossing and turning and restless sleep. They can even cause back problems. A firm mattress is best for restful, satisfying sleep.
• Align your bed east-west. When you sleep with your body aligned north-south, your body is in line with the earth’s magnetic field. This creates a subtle drain on your energy and may give rise to troubled dreams.
• Eliminate sources of as much light as possible while sleeping in order to support the proper secretion of melatonin and a restful night’s sleep.

 

Preparing for Sleep

• Brush your teeth and clear your “monkey glands” – two pockets in the back of the throat where bacteria multiply during the night. Clear the mucous by gently massaging the back of your throat with your toothbrush to induce gagging two to three times. This prevents that toxic accumulation from going into your stomach. Another benefit is that as you gag, it makes your eyes water, which helps preserve your eyesight.
• Wash your feet with cold water and massage them to get your nervous system ready for relaxation.
• Brush your hair and, if long, braid it so it stays neat and contained through the night.
• Drink a glass or two of water. Dehydration can disturb the sleeping mind. Waking up to use the bathroom is less disruptive to a whole night’s sleep than dehydration.
• Practice a restful activity before getting into bed. For example, do gentle yoga and slow breathing exercises, read a book, pray, or meditate.

Falling Asleep

• Set your mental timer to wake you up in the morning. Your subconscious mind has a great sense of time and will respond to your directive with a little practice.
• Quiet your thoughts by first visualizing all your worries. Wrap them up in a package, then place that package on a shelf in your mind. You’ll be amazed at how many worries are gone, solved, or improved by the time you wake up.
• Lie down on your stomach so your right cheek is on the pillow. This automatically opens your left nostril to bring in cooling, calming energy.
• Practice long, deep breathing in this position. Relax your body.
• If you are feeling particularly restless, you can help eliminate anxiety by making a fist of your two hands and placing them directly under the navel.
• Once you feel drowsy, turn over onto your back, side, or your preferred sleeping position. Continue long, deep breathing and enter a blissful sleep to regain your health.

 

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One response to “Yogic Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep”

1. Do You Sleep Well? - Kundalini Khalsa

   
   

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   […] Find further yogic advice on sleep here: 3HO – Yogic Lifestyle – Sleep […]

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