Yoga Poses To Help You for Better Sleep

1. Far too many people struggle to get enough sleep. Hectic stressful days, bright lights, screen time, and shift work are common causes of sleep problems. Pregnancy, sleep apnea, and many health conditions can also lead to chronic sleep deprivation. We know what sleep deprivation feels like. Our body and brain can cope with a short night’s sleep occasionally, but when it happens too often - or all the time - we become more than merely tired. Everything we do feels more difficult. We can’t think clearly, can’t focus properly, and become irritable and anxious. When we feel tired, we’re likely to choose less nutritious foods because we want a quick energy boost, and don’t want to waste our limited energy preparing better meals. We’re also likely to opt out of exercising due to feeling tired and lethargic. Both these tendencies can lead to deteriorating health due to poor nutrition, weight gain and reduced cardiovascular health. Why we need good sleep Scientific studies have found poor sleep to be linked to a higher risk for health conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and poor mental health. Being short on sleep has been found to have effects on the brain similar to alcohol - we make poor decisions, and are more prone to accidents and injury. Our bodies perform a lot of repair and maintenance functions while we sleep. This is one of the reasons why people who are ill or have recently had surgery tend to sleep a lot. The brain itself relies on sleep time to consolidate memories. There is also a special housekeeping function in the brain that only occurs during sleep - the brain’s version of the detoxifying lymphatic system (called the glymphatic system) activates during sleep

2. and clears toxins and wastes out of the brain tissues and into the bloodstream for removal. Put simply, the brain takes out the trash while we sleep. Good sleep is perhaps the most effective ‘detox’ we can practice. How to Get Better Sleep It’s important to have a range of strategies on hand to help our body and brain get the rest and recovery it needs. There are many steps you can take to shift you towards longer or deeper sleep. Use as many of them as you can build into your routine, including the relaxing bed-time yoga routine below. It will help you settle into sleep mode and sleep more deeply. It’s important to have a range of strategies on hand to help our body and brain get the rest and recovery it needs. There are many steps you can take to shift you towards longer or deeper sleep. Use as many of them as you can build into your routine, including the relaxing bed-time yoga routine below. It will help you settle into sleep mode and sleep more deeply. Plan your day for a better night’s sleep 1. Start your day with a dose of sunlight. This helps to set your body clock to your sleep schedule, and lower your melatonin production during your waking hours. When your body is primed to recognize bright mornings and dim evenings, it gets better at producing sleep hormones to deliver good sleep at the time you want it. 2. Stop caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. Caffeine may not make you feel alert for that long, but it is still present in your brain, filling up some very important

3. receptors that need to be free for our brain’s sleep chemicals to make contact. Remember that there is caffeine in chocolate, green tea and energy drinks as well as regular tea and coffee. 3. Be physically active during the day, completing more vigorous activities at least four hours before bedtime. Physical activity leads to better sleep - this applies to various yoga styles and other activities like walking or strength training. As bedtime approaches, physical activity should be gentle and relaxing so that your body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate can lower in preparation for sleep. 4. Practice stress management activities regularly. These should be activities that work for you. Hatha Yoga is an excellent option. Walking or relaxing in nature might suit you. Meditation and breathing exercises are also effective stress relieving practices. 5. Stop alcohol at least three hours before bedtime. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy, but it interferes with your sleep cycle. With alcohol on board, you don’t get enough REM sleep or deep sleep. These sleep stages are vital for brain health and feeling refreshed after sleep. 6. Avoid bright lights and electronic screens within an hour of bedtime. Light fools your body, lowering production of the hormone melatonin that should be helping you get to sleep. If you can’t avoid screens altogether, try using night-time filters on your devices, or buying some blue light blocking glasses. Also you can join online yoga courses to learn everything related to yoga in detail. Best Yoga Poses you Should try for better Sleep: 1) Yog Nidra or Yogic sleep

4. ● Reduces Stress ● Improves concentration ● Improves metabolism, healing, and growth ● Rejuvenates the body 2) Bhramari Pranayam or Humming Bee

5. Bramhari Pranayam is also known as Humming Bee breathing is an excellent technique to calm anger and release stress. This pranayam has a positive effect on the nervous system. To do this, relax and sit down in a comfortable pose preferably sukhasan keep your eyes closed, cover both your ears with the thumbs, and rest the balance of four fingers on the face with normal breathing. Make a humming sound while keeping your mouth closed. While you are doing so, you will experience vibrations in the face and head region. Continue this for about 10 minutes. It will help release all mental fatigue, calming the mind and inducing sleep. ● Beneficial to overcome fear, anxiety, anger, sleeplessness, and other types of mental disorders ● Helps in curing high blood pressure

6. ● Cures sinus and migraine issues ● Helps in improving the memory ● Helps in reducing stress and depression 3) Anulom Vilom (Alternate nostril breathing) Anulom Vilom is known as an alternate nostril breathing technique, which helps in regulating the blood pressure and also helps in calming the nervous system. To do this, sit in a comfortable position (preferably sukhaasan). Place the left hand on your left thigh, palms facing the ceiling your right -hand thumb on the right nostril normal breath in, and as you breathe out block the right nostril with your right thumb, allow the breath

7. to flow out from the left nostril breathing from the left nostril and close the left nostril with the rest of the fingers, release your right thumb allowing the breath to flow out from your right nostril. Once again breathing in from your right nostril and after breathing in block the right nostril allowing the breath to move out of your left nostril, keep alternating between the two nostrils. Following are the benefits of Anulom Vilom: ● Excellent for respiratory issues like asthma and allergies. ● Helps in balancing and relaxing the nervous system ● Cures depression and anxiety ● Removes toxins from the body 4) Child’s Pose or Balasana

8. The Child' Pose known as Balasana is a kneeling pose. It stretches your lower back and relaxes your entire body. To perform it, sit in a kneeling position. Drop the butt towards your heels as you stretch the rest of your body down and forward. In the fully stretched positions, rest your arms in a relaxed position along the floor, rest your stomach comfortably on the top of your thighs, and rest your forehead on the mat. You will feel the stretch on your shoulders and buttocks and down the length of your spine and arms. Following are the benefits of Balasana: ● It calms the brain ● Relieves stress and tension ● Increases blood circulation ● Eases lower back pain issues 5) Makarasana or Crocodile Pose

9. Makarasana or Crocodile Pose is an extremely relaxing technique where you have to lie on your belly, with arms crossed under your head. Rest the forehead on the wrist of the hands and turn out your heels and let the legs flop open. You have to close your eyes and let your body relax. The following are the benefits of Makarasana: ● Helps in curing slip disc, spondylitis, and sciatica ● Rejuvenates the body ● Helps in curing asthma With such a detailed discussion, we have reached the end of this piece of the best yoga for better sleep. Also, you can join HelloMyYoga online yoga programs to learn in detail.