Getting enough sleep is very crucial for your health. Sleeping plays an important role in your daily activities. If you don’t get enough sleep, then you are unable to perform your daily activities properly. Yoga is the best practice for relaxation of mind and body. It keeps you healthy, which results in a better quality of life. Yoga helps to get better sleep and gives you relaxation from stress.
Moreover, yoga also promotes breathing and restful sleep. When you get enough sleep, then it allows your mind to function properly. Yoga is a much better option than medicine. Yoga before bedtime for 5 minutes gives you relaxation and promotes your breathing.
Let’s discuss yoga poses before bed:
Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)
Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breath control practice of yoga. It helps your body and mind relax and also reduces anxiety. It also promotes overall well-being. Alternate nostril breathing can be practiced at home also.
Keep your focus on breath slow, smooth and continuous focusing on your breath. It helps you to remember where your cycle is. Now sit in your comfortable position with legs crossed for nostril breathing. Kindly place your left hand on your knee and lift your right hand up towards your nose. Exhale properly and use your right thumb to close your right nostril, and repeat the same with the left nostril. This is the one cycle and continues it for five times. You may mind that it is the most relaxing and enjoyable yoga practice.
Child’s pose (Balasana)
Child pose yoga is the most important posture for resting your body. It is a very nice way to gently stretch all your body parts. Gently stretch your hips, back, hips, thighs, and ankle. It reconnects you with your breath to take properly and to move forward.
Start your balasana by gently coming to your hands and knees on the mat. Now spread your knees as wide as you can on the mat. Keep your tops off your feet on the floor with big toes touching. Kindly bring your belly to rest between your thighs and roots your forehead to the floor, and take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders, jaw, and eyes. If you are not comfortable to place your head on the floor, then you can rest it on the block or two stacked fists. It boosts up your energy point and stimulates the vagus nerve. It supports your rest and digest response.
Supine twist (Supta Matsyendrasan)
Lie on your back and take your arms one by one out with plams out the sides in the T position with palms facing down. Now Twist your spine and lower body through exhaling the right knee over to the left side of the body. Now put your shoulders levelled to the floorand take the position in a relaxed manner. Now take the gravity to pull down your knee. So that you can be relaxed or in a comfortable position. Now breath for 6 to 10 times and keep practicing the inhale and exhale.
Benefits of yoga before bed
Some so many people suffer from insomnia and sleeping disorders. Lack of sleep affects their daily life. Many studies show that yoga gives better quality of sleep, which includes falling asleep better, avoid using sleep medicines, and feeling more energetic when you wake up in the morning.
- Reduces stress, anxiety, and depression: Stress and anxiety play a great role in sleeping disorders. But regular yoga will help to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. Yoga lowers the rate of steroid hormone and releases tension. It strengthens the parasympathetic nervous system. It helps to relax the mind and body, which results in better sleep. Research shows that yoga results in positive change in several areas that includes energy metabolism, insulin secretion, and immune function that produces serotonin.
- Keeps you active: Yoga helps to release the toxins and by accumulating the circulation of oxygen. Toxins even get stored in organs and tissue. Also, Pranayama refreshes the body and improves the circulation of blood. Practicing yoga before bed will permit it to be released, help calm the mind, and take daily stress off the body. It is a way to freshen up the body and get better sleep.
- Clams your mind: It is uncertain that yoga provides you calmness. Yoga is the combination of holding poses, breathing, and movements, which is the best way that calms your mind. When you practice yoga before bedtime, then not only do your eyes shut physically but mentally as well. Many people face trouble sleeping because something is going on in their minds, which is keeping them awake. But, when they do yoga before bed, then it will clear their mind and stop the mind-chatter.
- Improves breathing: The main cause of snoring is due to incorrect breathing. Snoring is caused by sinus problems, stress, obesity, and circulation problems. Sleep apnea is the cause of people who are tense, nervous, or lung disorders. Yoga breathing techniques help to fight these both problems and lead to better night sleep.
- Yoga soothes muscles and joint pain: Stretching before bed is the best way to soothe muscles and joint pain. Some people experience muscle pain or joint pain during bedtime after a tiring day. With the pain, it is not possible to get enough sleep. So, the big advantage of yoga before bedtime is that you can release the pain and tension before sleep.
Yoga is the best way to get enough sleep every night. People who experience insomnia and sleep disorders will get quick relief with regular yoga practice. Whether you suffer from insomnia, depression, and anxiety, yoga helps to deal with all these problems.
