How yoga can improve your sleep

Namaste!

In the fast-paced world we live in today, it’s important to balance your lifestyle to remain happy and healthy. If you feel like you’re always on the go, the good news is that Yoga is a healthy and enjoyable way to restore balance and get a good night's sleep so you can perform at your best every day. 

Yoga is a low-impact mental and physical practice which originated in ancient India, consisting of deep breathing while positioning the body in a series of poses. Today, it’s a popular exercise activity practiced by people of all ages, from children in school, all the way to the elderly.

Given its gentle, slow and meditative format, it’s no surprise that yoga offers many benefits. 

So, how can yoga help you switch off from the pressures of life and improve your sleep quality and your overall health?

1. Yoga is great for the physical body

A typical yoga session lasts for about an hour, and as you move through the yoga poses (or asanas), your body must exert strength to keep you stable.

All you have to do is spend a minute in downward dog or warrior pose to see how much strength and muscle control yoga actually requires! Over time, yoga’s isometric exercise helps improve your flexibility, posture, muscle tone and core strength¹. 

It also has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness and circulation as well as musculoskeletal mobility, as your joints are moved through a wide range of motion¹.

2. Yoga reduces stress

In addition to the physical benefits, yoga may help to reduce daily stress by lowering the production of the “stress hormone” cortisol², through focus, mindfulness and deep breathing³.

If you’ve spent a few restless nights tossing and turning in bed feeling anxious, yoga may be what you need to calm your thoughts before you get under the covers.

3. Yoga promotes sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene refers to adopting good habits prior to going to bed to ensure quality sleep at night and more alertness during the day. 

One such habit is creating a consistent sleeping routine to regulate your body’s biological clock which determines your patterns of sleepiness and wakefulness each day⁴.

Yoga can empower you to listen to how your body feels and create a routine at night or in the morning (or both) which centres around your own sleeping patterns. 

4. Yoga improves the quality of your sleep

Besides reducing stress and adopting good sleeping habits, yoga can have a direct impact on sleep quality too. It has been shown to help people sleep for longer, fall asleep faster, and return to sleep more quickly if they wake up in the middle of the night⁵.

This benefit has been seen in many situations where people have trouble sleeping. Many have discovered the positive influence yoga has had on their quality of sleep⁵.

Do you want to improve your sleep quality?

Yoga is a great way to reconnect with your body and mind to improve the quality of your sleep each night.

It’s important to recognise the need to remain in balance in every aspect of your lifestyle to remain healthy – this includes nutrition and exercise too, as they can also affect how well you sleep. 

To begin your journey towards better sleep, download the free eBook “Unlocking the three pillars of health” today.