Five Tips for Better Sleep

by Nina

Field of Tulips by Melina Meza

I recently read a very disappointing list of same-old, same-old tips for better sleep. You know, don’t use your bedroom for anything but sex or sleep, light candles, take supplements, blah, blah, blah—does that stuff even work?—and nothing at all about addressing the root causes of insomnia. And I thought, really I could do a lot better than that. So here goes:

Five Tips for Better Sleep

1. Reduce your overall stress levels. Because insomnia if often caused by chronic stress, regularly practicing conscious relaxation or calming yoga poses can help prevent the busy mind and over-stimulated nervous system that is keeping you awake at night. See The Relaxation Response and Yoga, Yoga for Insomnia: Part 1 and Conscious Relaxation vs. Sleep for information. 

2. Plan your day. What you do in the hours before bed can affect your state when you get into bed. So schedule your stimulating activities, including aerobic exercise and strong yoga practices, such as flow practices, standing poses and backbends, for earlier in the day. (Of course, you don’t want to be watching an action film in the late evening, either.) Start to wind down before bed with calming practices, such as restorative yoga or meditating, so you’re in a relaxed state when you get into bed. See Day to Night for information.

3. Get comfortable. Physical pain or discomfort can keep you awake, so think about your sleeping position the same way you would about a yoga pose. Use “props” in bed, such as extra pillows, towels, and so on, to help get more comfortable. If you are having back problems, sleeping on your tummy can overarch your lower back, exacerbating back problems. You could try placing a folded blanket or towel under your lower abdomen to see if that helps, or, even better, sleep on your back instead with a pillow under your knees. If you’re having neck problems, sleep on your side or back, rather than on your tummy. If you try sleeping on your side and find that your knees press together uncomfortably, place a pillow between your knees. If nocturnal leg cramps are keeping you awake, stretch your legs before bed (see Nocturnal Leg Cramps and Yoga). 

4. Practice yoga in bed. Sometimes just getting into bed—even if you’ve been relaxing beforehand—can trigger worries about your life or fear about falling asleep. Instead of letting your mind race, try your favorite relaxation practice while you’re falling asleep (in this case, it’s okay if you fall asleep while you’re relaxing) You could practice a guided relaxation or yoga nidra (by listening to an audio recording or just talking yourself through it) or even do a restorative yoga pose, such as Child’s pose, with a mental focus to calm yourself down. See Yoga You Can Do in Bed and Yoga Tricks for Better Sleep for information.

5. Work with your breath. One of the easiest things you can do to calm yourself before you fall asleep or if you wake up in the middle of the night is to work with your breath. This moves your mind away from your worries onto a neutral subject and triggers the Relaxation Response, which will help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more deeply. You can either practice simple breath awareness or work on gently lengthening your exhalation (see Yoga for Better Sleep). If you have trouble breathing because you have a cold or allergies, try working with a mantra (a phrase you repeat to yourself) of any kind instead. 

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