The Connection Between Yoga and Sleep Quality

Picture this scenario: It’s nighttime and you’re just trying to catch some sleep before school/work tomorrow. But no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to sleep. Everytime that you try to scroll on the internet for solutions, you are bombarded with products that promise miracles yet don’t even end up working and can even compromise your health in the long run. Well, look no further: Yoga! 

Even just having a short evening yoga routine can work wonders for your mind and body. By engaging ourselves in simple stretches and reasonable breaks, we let our overworked minds actually rest. This is because all this stress and overstimulation messes with our circadian rhythms and keeps our minds at high alert. Yoga helps us reset this balance and signals to our brain that it’s finally time to rest. 

In addition to letting our minds rest, doing yoga can also reduce the amount of nightmares or night time disturbances caused by our minds. This is due to the root cause of night terrors being simple things that our body controls like emotions, stress, and anxiety, which keep our brains functioning in high alert, even when we are trying to sleep. By letting our circadian rhythms tell our brains to relax, we lessen the amount of disruptions at night. 

The best part? The solution to these problems doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg or require hours of practice. Even just by keeping up with a five minute routine before bed can improve sleep quality, calm your mind, and help you wake up more refreshed than ever before! Your journey to dream land doesn’t have to be a complicated routine or expensive product–all it takes is a simple stretch before bed.