Yoga for better sleep
"Mens sano in corpore sano", meaning "a healthy mind in a healthy body" applies particularly to the practice of yoga. Yoga is about harmonizing body and mind. But when we sleep badly, this harmony is somewhat disrupted.
Better than hot milk, chamomile tea, sheep count and sleeping pills, yoga is a true miracle cure for those who suffer from sleep disorders. Ready to give it a try?
Some figures on sleep
If we spend a third of our life sleeping, our sleep is not always of good quality.
For example, one person in three reports having trouble sleeping at least three nights a week according to a survey. In the vast majority of cases, insomnia is the main cause of these sleep disorders.
Consequences :
• 1 person out of 2 feels less efficient (tired, sleepy) at least once a week,
• 34% of the population reports that they are usually a little or very tired after a night's sleep,
• 42% of people believe that sleep is the most influential factor on physical abilities and 47% believe that it has a greater influence on intellectual abilities.
Few people are treated for their lack of sleep: only 16% and of these only 33% say they are taking a non-drug treatment.
How to sleep better?
There are several good habits to take to get a good night's sleep. Here are some simple tips to help you get back to sleep.
Make a light meal
To avoid sleep problems, Taoist doctors recommend eating at least 3 hours before bedtime and especially to eat light. Indian doctors confirm and sign! According to Ayurveda, our digestive capacities follow the curve of the sun. The higher the sun is in the sky, the higher our digestive capacities are also. We should therefore not swallow anything after sunset.
Wash your feet
A Chinese proverb says "if you want to protect a tree, you have to take care of its roots, if you want to protect a human, you have to take care of its feet". Immersing your feet in a basin of hot (30-40°) or cold water according to your preferences would help you fall asleep and would be more effective than the best of sleeping pills!
Check the temperature of his room
The body temperature varies with its biological clock. It decreases significantly during sleep and rises with sunrise. Sleeping in an overheated room can disturb the natural regulation of the body and have an influence on sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the ideal temperature for sleeping is 18.3°. Put a thermometer in your room to check!
Put down your cell phone and pick up a yoga book
95% of people use an electronic device within one hour of going to bed. However, light from a television, smartphone or computer disturbs sleep by delaying the production of melatonin.
Don't hesitate to use programs to gradually reduce the brightness of your screen according to the time of day if you are really addicted! But the best is of course to read a good book and why not some yogi literature?
6 minutes of yoga before sleep
We're getting there! If yoga can help you wake up and have energy in the morning, there are some very relaxing postures to help you dive into a deep and restful sleep!
Yoga is a great way to make the transition from daytime activity to nighttime rest. Keeping a posture for a few tens of seconds helps to release tension.
And establishing a pre-sleep routine sends signals to the body that it's time to go to sleep.
Yoga: the solution for a better sleep
In our western societies, a yoga class is often seen as a relaxing gym class or an eastern version of stretching.
Yet yoga is an extremely rich Indian philosophy. It brings many benefits including that of getting an excellent restorative sleep.
Yoga practiced in the West is often called hatha yoga, one of the many branches of yoga. "Ha" means "sun" while "tha" means "moon". "Yoga" is the union of these opposite energies.
Our life is a difficult balance between these positive and negative forces. Reconciling these opposites is one of the goals of yoga postures.
In yoga, everything is vital energy in our body. This is why breathing is so important: it feeds this vital force in us which circulates through 7 chakras arranged along our spine.
The energy brought by the breath is redistributed throughout the body by the chakras.
By eliminating the effects of the bad postures we take, the yoga exercises allow the energy to circulate properly again.
Of course, all this is very simplified and the study of yoga deserves special attention because it is so exciting.
Yoga can divert the mind from painful thoughts such as professional anger, heartbreak or family budgeting by restoring flexibility to the body and peace of mind that will help you get back to a good night's sleep.
Yoga is a perfect solution to keep a good quality of sleep and avoid taking medication, which is bad for the body and to which we tend to become accustomed.
Which postures should you prefer before sleeping?
To relax and let yourself be invaded by a feeling of well-being in order to sleep well, there are several postures!
These will promote the production of sleep hormones and will be much more effective than drinking chamomile tea!
Be careful not to go beyond your limits. It is not a question of being as flexible as possible, only of relaxing, no one is looking at you, nor judging you.
Parivritta Janu Sirsasana
This posture relaxes the back muscles and releases endorphins (pleasure hormones) into the body.
• Sit on your buttocks and stretch one leg out in front of you,
• Bend the other leg and bring the heel back into the hollow of the thigh,
• Place the hand of the outstretched leg on the toes, ankle or knee depending on the difficulty,
• Lean over the leg by opening the bust, in a twisting position,
• Remain in position for 5 to 10 full breaths,
• Change leg.
Marjarasana
This posture stretches the back and soothes the muscular tensions accumulated in this area.
• Get down on all fours,
• Exhale with a round back and tuck in the stomach, the look is towards the ground, the chin tucked in,
• Breathe in by digging out your back and looking straight ahead,
• Repeat 15 times, taking care not to contract the trapezoids and not to arch the back.
Ado Mukha Svanasana
The ideal posture to relieve back pain and slow your heart rate to prepare for sleep.
• Start from the four-legged position,
• With hands shoulder-width apart, lift the pelvis up to stretch the back and form an upside-down V shape,
• Unfold your legs and try to put your heels on the ground,
• Breathe deeply for three full breaths and then return to the initial position.
Balasana
This posture is very relaxing, it allows to refocus on oneself and to relax all the muscles of the body.
• Knees on the ground, sit on his heels, then bend the bust forward and put the forehead on the ground,
• Stretch your arms out in front of you or keep them on each side of your body,
• Breathe slowly, using a vacuum for 5 to 10 full breaths.
Savasana
Under its unglamorous name, this posture is generally the final posture to prepare for sleep. It is possible to do it directly lying down under the comforter, ready to join Morpheus' arms!
• Lie down with your feet apart by the width of the pool,
• Put your hands on each side of your body,
• The head is well anchored,
• Inhale deeply through the nose, letting the belly swell and without moving the rib cage (abdominal breathing),
• Exhale slowly through the mouth, until the belly returns to its natural position.
• Relax your feet, then your calves, thighs, pelvis, up to the top of the skull.
Abdominal breathing soothes the entire nervous system: digestion, breathing, blood circulation, secretions?
If you've had a particularly stressful day, need to clear your head before an exam or simply have a little more time on your hands, this is ideal!
Whatever the reason for your lack of sleep, there are solutions.
Studies link insomnia to an increased risk of serious health problems such as diabetes and stroke, as well as depression, impaired judgment, memory and other cognitive impairments.
Fortunately, there are easy yoga-based techniques that you can use every night to fall asleep and stay asleep.
It takes only six minutes to take advantage of your body's natural sleep-enhancing processes.
