Yoga for insomnia: 9 Asanas you shouldn't Miss

There are times when you aren’t able to sleep irrespective of how tired or relaxed you are. It is normal to experience sleeplessness which could be due to various factors. You must have found yourself edgily playing with your phone, blindly scrolling through random websites or social media, or just turning sides in bed awaiting your precious sleep. You are very well aware of the ground rules of switching off your gadgets and devices at least an hour before your bedtime and keeping your phone away from your bed which stands true. But sometimes, you still fail to get sleep. If this happens frequently or regularly to you, then you’ve hit insomnia, my friend. You could try a lot of therapies like yoga for insomnia, aromatherapy, white noise, etc. to sleep peacefully.

What is insomnia?

When you struggle to fall asleep, especially at night, this health disorder is called insomnia. Just like any other medical issue, even insomnia has innumerable ill-effects on your health, causing you mood swings, fatigue, lack of concentration or focus, and lower performance in day to day activities.

Lack of sleep or insomnia affects your physical as well as mental well-being. Research has shown that people who suffer from insomnia are at a higher risk of serious medical disorders like anxiety, depression, diabetes, and heart problems. People with insomnia might tend to age faster and hence look older than their actual age. Lack of sleep always keeps you in a confused state of mind, making you fall and feel sick every now and then.

When you are sleeping, your body is undergoing the repairing process on a deep cellular level and removes all the toxins from within. Hence, it’s important to get a minimum of six-eight hours of sleep every night to wake up fresh and rejuvenated. Do not panic if you are going through a ‘lack of sleep’ phase. There are various ways it can be worked upon, which will help you treat or control insomnia, one of which is yoga.

Yoga for insomnia

When we talk about yoga for insomnia or asanas for a good sleep, it doesn’t have to be extra strong and energetic, but can also do wonders when performed slowly with a calm state of mind. In fact, if you are considering yoga for insomnia, it’s important to know that the most advantageous aspects of yoga asanas are the small yet significant changes these yoga poses bring in your body. It’s these changes that bring about major changes in your physical and mental health. And what’s even better? These benefits can be entailed from your home if you do not want to enroll for a yoga class. 

Performing yoga for insomnia at the end of a hectic day is a great idea. It helps you feel light and relaxed right before your bedtime, hence helping you fall asleep as soon as possible. 

Don’t know which yoga asanas for insomnia would work perfectly for you? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. These yoga poses would help you soothe into a good night’s sleep. 

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Uttanasana Yoga

Uttanasana yoga for insomnia – also known as Padahasthasana is a standing forward bend pose. This yoga asana or pose gives your back, neck, and back muscles a great stretch. It facilitates in stimulating the nervous system and increases the supply of blood. It makes the spine flexible. This extended stretch and the improved blood circulation throughout the body achieved through this yoga for insomnia will help you sleep better and faster. 

Baddha Konasana Yoga

This yoga for insomnia is a great way to get rid of fatigue caused due to prolonged hours of walking or standing. This stretch is extremely beneficial for inner thighs, groin, and knees. This asana is also known as ‘Butterfly Pose’ or ‘Cobbler’s Pose’.  The stretch helps you relax and unwind and this, in turn, makes you fall asleep faster.

Shavasana Yoga

This yoga asana is mandatorily performed after every yoga session, especially if you are working towards treating your insomnia issue. Shavasana is known to relax your entire body system. Have you ever considered Nadi Shodhan Pranayama in your yoga for insomnia sessions? If not, it should definitely be added as it is known to relieve tension and enhances your relaxation time. 

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Legs up the wall Yoga

This yoga pose looks a little difficult but not impossible to perform. No matter how tough it looks, it is amazingly relaxing and soothing. It helps you focus on conscious relaxation as you make your mind prepared for deep sleep. This pose is an excellent way to relieve tired legs and feet. It eliminates the fatigue from hips and feet and ensures fresh blood flow to the brain, thereby soothing the mind and relieving it of a mild headache. A calm and relaxed mind finds it easier to fall asleep. 

Balasana Yoga for Insomnia

Here comes the essential resting pose in a majority of yoga sessions. It’s also known as the ‘Child’s Pose’ as it appears to be like a child in the womb. It soothes your mind and relieves tension in body and mind. Just fold your torso over the legs and keep your arms by the sides or extend them in front. Balasana is one of the best yoga poses to treat insomnia. The deep and relaxing Balasana stretch calms the nervous system. This promotes good and sound sleep.

Marjariasana Yoga

This yoga pose is yet another beneficial one which makes your spine flexible. It’s popularly known as ‘Cat Pose’. When this pose is combined with Bitilasana or ‘Cow Pose’, it helps in getting your circulation back on track or regulates it better. Marjariasana yoga for insomnia massages the abdominal organs, enhances blood circulation, and relaxes the mind. All this leads to better sleep and reduced insomnia. 

Chandra Bhedana Yoga

By tradition, the left nostril is strongly linked to the body’s cooling energy, and the right one is associated with heat. This left-nostril yoga asana (pranayama) concentrates on keeping your mind away from stress. At the same time, it massages the organs that are responsible to realise the onset of sleeping and signals your vagus nerve to communicate to the brain to relax and calm down.

Padangusthasana Yoga for Insomnia

This is one of those yoga asanas for insomnia that energises the liver and kidneys in the body. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is in charge of releasing tension and making the body fall asleep.

Supine Twist Yoga

Medical and yoga expert professionals have studied and shown that reclining and inverted postures like supine twist encourage good quality sleep by relaxing the baroreflex – a reflex known to uphold almost constant blood pressure.

It can be extremely annoying and frustrating to be unable to get quality and sufficient sleep. Sometimes, it can add up to your existing stress and worries, worsening your physical and mental health balance. Firstly, do not worry about anything beyond a point. Learn more about your symptoms and start working towards their betterment with these yoga for insomnia practices. Get some discipline, routine, and a fixed time to sleep. Let your body get habituated to a sleep cycle. And then, let the yoga asanas for insomnia do their magic!

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.