7 Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep | Care2 Healthy Living

It?s 12:00 midnight?you?ve put the finishing touches on tomorrow?s presentation, done some much-needed laundry, and put the kids to bed (though how long they?ll actually stay in bed is anyone?s guess). You retreat underneath the covers, eager to capture a few hours of shut-eye.

The problem is, your eyes?and your brain?refuse to close.

Sound familiar?

The occasional sleepless night, while annoying, is no big deal. Chronic insomnia however, can pose a serious threat to your health and wellbeing.

Can yoga help you snag extra sleep?

One way you may be able to snatch some extra shut-eye is by adopting a nightly yoga routine.

Harvard University researchers recently discovered that a regular yoga practice helped people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and improved the overall quality of their rest.

Previous studies have also linked the ancient form of exercise to improvements in sleep efficiency for post-menopausal women, cancer survivors and those suffering from osteoarthritis.

According to Brent Brandow, director of operations at Parkway SleepHealth Centers, using yoga to lose weight and learning proper breathing patterns can be particularly helpful for those suffering from weight-induced sleep apnea?a condition where a person experiences abnormal pauses in breathing while sleeping?perhaps even allowing them to be weaned off of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines.

These findings come as no surprise to long-time yoga devotees.

?Yoga facilitates sleep by relaxing both your mind and body,? says Rina Jacubowicz, yoga instructor and founder of Rina Yoga, ?It forces you to be present, slowing down all the worries that collect throughout the day.?

Yoga also helps improve body alignment and flexibility, two things that contribute to physical aches and pains that may rob you of precious rest time.

Just breathe

Yoga goes beyond just bending and twisting. Breathing techniques play an essential role in grounding the body and opening the mind.

Jacubowicz describes ?belly breathing,? a respiration method people often use to relax and rejuvenate while practicing yoga:

Stand up or lie down, whichever you prefer. Just be sure to keep your spine long.

Put one hand on your belly and inhale, expanding your belly like a balloon.

When you exhale, pull your belly button in towards your spine.

Repeat this for at least ten deep breaths (you can definitely do more if you want to). Each time you inhale, try to relax and inflate your belly as much as you can.

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Next: 7 Yoga Poses that Help You Sleep

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Related:
6 Reasons You Need Sleep
Snoring Isn?t Just Annoying?It Can Be Deadly
Restless Leg Syndrome and Other Sleep Disorders

Stretch yourself to Sleep: 7 Snooze-Inducing Yoga Poses originally?appeared on?AgingCare.com.

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/stretch-yourself-to-sleep-7-snooze-inducing-yoga-poses.html

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