In this modern, fast-forward world, sleep is very often looked at as an unaffordable luxury. Wakeful nights and insomnia have turned into such inseparable parts of our reality that ways of fighting sleeping disorders are gaining more and more demand. Many people find that getting a home sleep apnea test is the first step in learning how to get better sleep. In the meantime, you can do something right now.
Among the oldest methods for maintaining good physical and mental health, yoga offers a few-sided approach to improving sleep quality. These Pre Sleep yoga postures further relax the mind and body into sleep.
1. Child's Pose – Balasana How to Do It:
Start on your hands and knees. Your wrists should be underneath your shoulders, with your knees underneath your hips. Kneel onto your heels, knees wide. Fold the arms forward, lengthening the torso between the thighs. Let the forehead touch the mat, and take a deep breath into the soul. Child's pose is a mild stretch intended to relax the nervous system. It lets tension go from the back, neck, and shoulder areas. The stress levels are reduced; this
forward bend will keep you safe and relaxed to fall asleep and improve your core sleep.
How to Do It:
Sit with the back against or almost touching the wall; lie down on the back. Now swing both your legs up the wall while keeping the buttocks as close to the wall as possible. Spread the
arms out on both sides with the palms up or place these on the abdomen. Rest in this pose for 5 to 10 minutes.
Benefits:
This restorative pose is excellent, really, for improvement in blood flow, reducing anxiety, and inviting a sense of calm in. The leg lift serves to reduce general fatigue and tension both from the day and in the way one eases
into sleep.
- How to Do It:
Standing feet hip-width apart, fold forward at hips, releasing your head and neck. Keep knees slightly bent for comfort.
Place your hands down onto the floor, or your shins, or a block. The benefits of the Forward Fold helps quiet the mind and may lessen stress. Lengthening of the hamstrings and lower back may reduce physical tension and help create feelings of relaxation. This pose invites a gentle inversion that can be of assistance in quieting the nervous system, too.
How to Do It:
Lying on your back, bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the floor. Extend your arms out to sides, palms facing down. Let your knees fall to one side as you turn your head in the opposite direction. Hold for several breaths. Repeat to opposite side. This releases pressure on the spine and lower back, allowing digestion to cool down the nervous system. Small
twists allow your brain to let you sleep; catch a wink.
Konasana
- How to Do It:
Lie on your back and bring your heels towards each other, allowing your knees to knock out to the sides.
Additionally, Lie on your back with arms at your side with palms up toward the ceiling, or place your hands on your stomach.
Support your knees with a few cushions or blankets if you feel this will be more comfortable. Benefits:
Reclined Bound Angle Pose opens the hips and groin, releases tension from the lower body, and can facilitate deep full-body relaxation. This is quite helpful for people with insomnia and it quiets the nervous system.
- How to Do It:
Lie on your back. Extend the legs, allowing the arms to fall softly along your sides-palms upwards. Close the eyes
and bring awareness of the breath. Release your whole body and let go of all tension in your body. Hold for 5-10 minutes. Benefits:
Savasana is great for letting loose any tension or stress, and thus, is a very calming and soothing pose on your mind. It's great toward the end of a bedtime routine.
- How to Do It:
Standing with feet hip-width apart, fold forward from the hips-keep the back straight. Place hands on shins, thighs, or block-whichever feels comfortable for you-and keep the back flat. Hold for
several breaths and rise up slowly.
Standing Forward Bend Benefits Standing Forward Bend relieves stress and anxiety because in this pose, there is a soothing influence on the nervous system. In this pose, the muscles of hamstrings and back are stretched-those parts that are tightened by physical tension-but after stretching, there is a relaxation of the body.
- How to Do It
Come onto your hands and knees. Set your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Inhale, arching your back, lifting your tailbone and head toward the ceiling. Exhale, rounding your spine, tucking your chin toward your chest and move for several minutes.
Benefits: Your body is most flexible, your spine is the release.
This, too, is a relaxing asana, the Cat-Cow Pose. The flow brings natural deep breathing, soothing to the mind, and gets it ready for deep sleep.
Invite sleep in: Let your practice of yoga be a part of a nightly ritual where sleep will be invited in. Switch off the lights and put on some soothing music or mild aromatherapy to make it sleep friendly. Practice it as often as possible. Of course, one gets paid with better results over time. Surely one shall do it, night after night.
Just listen to your body: everything is done lightly and without forcing the movements. Basically, yoga is all about light stretches to get your body ready for sleep-not some heavy exercise . Couple It with-
Deep Breathing:
Deep conscious breathing can add more to the 'quietening' effect of yoga postures for better unwinding.
No screen time: The devices are turned off an hour before sleep so that at least the sleep factor interfered with
for blue light interference. Asanas incorporated into the night routine for induction of relaxation definitely prepare body and mind for sleep.
Let yoga take over in the serene silence of night that is in store. Sweet dreams
