It’s natural to have trouble falling asleep. A busy day can leave you with many thoughts running through your mind by the time night falls, making it hard to fully wind down.
However, not being able to sleep properly can lead to some serious physical, and possibly even medical, complications. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a lack of sleep can directly contribute to weight gain and obesity, as well as increase the risk for chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression.
Enter: Yoga. Several studies have correlated yoga’s benefits with better sleep cycles. Not only can yoga can improve physical strength and flexibility but it can also reduce stress and improve sleep among people suffering from chronic insomnia, according to sleep specialist Dr. Michael J. Bruess.
Here are a list of yoga poses to try for a better night's sleep:
1. Seated forward bend
This is a total body stretch. Laying on your back, bend both knees and center your feet flat on the floor. Net, press your feet into the floor, inhale and lift your hips up, rolling your spine off the floor. Lift your chest up high and breathe deeply for four to eight breaths and then release, according to Yogibasics.com.
2. Bridge Pose
Also known as the corpse pose or final relaxation pose, this move requires you to lie entirely still. It is the continued practice of softly relaxing one body part at a time, one muscle at a time, according to Yogajournal.
3. Savasana
Also known as the corpse pose or final relaxation pose, this move requires you to lie entirely still. It is the continued practice of softly relaxing one body part at a time, one muscle at a time, according to Yogajournal.
4. Child’s Pose
A classic yoga posture, this pose requires that you begin on your hands and knees, according to Yogaoutlet.com. Pull your knees wide and keep your big toes together. Lift up and lengthen your spine. On the exhalation, lean forward toward your thighs. You should feel a deep, relaxing stretch all the way down your spine.
5. Cat and Cow Pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)
This is an exciting yoga move designed to stretch the lower back, shoulders and neck. From Hero pose, a classic seated position, you should roll forward onto your hands and knees, according to Maren Hunsberger, a yoga practitioner at Yoga Alliance. Hunsberger suggests that for cat pose, exhale deeply as you shift the crown of the head and the tailbone to the ground, arching your spine into a slight curve and pulling your shoulder blades apart. Inhale into cow pose by bringing your head and tailbone up high toward the ceiling, arching the lower back. Alternate between those two poses, making sure to take deep, full breaths: one inhale, one exhale, and repeat.
Modifying your sleep rituals with a bit of yoga every night can be an extremely effective tool to decrease stress and anxiety. Give it a try! What do you have to lose, except a good night's sleep if you don't?
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