Want To Sleep? Get Moving!

When it comes time to drift off into a peaceful slumber, something that many of us struggle to do, one of the keys isn't to just relax.

You've got to kick yourself into high gear!

A common mistake people make when trying to get to sleep is to ignore the physical stress and anxiety they've built up over the course of the day, week, or months, and instead try to use pure mental relaxation techniques to force an amped-up body to "just ... go to ... sleep, dammit!"

Mind techniques can be effective, but will be exponentially more so if you partner then with a physical practice. And I'm talking about really moving, too.

If your body remains switched into the sympathetic nervous system, which sounds nice, but is actually your fight-or-flight nature, you'll be doing the exact opposite of what's needed to get you to sleep. And sometimes, repeating mantras, counting sheep, or even breathing deeply isn't enough to take you there.

At the end of your day, if you haven't done a body-working and balancing practice like yoga, or other forms of exercise that include slow, mindful movement and deep breath, then your stress will be residing not only in your mind ... but in your muscle tissue as well. And, you have to get it out to be able to fully relax.

If you don't deal with your muscles, they will turn into restless legs, a still-wonky adrenal system, a jumpy mental state and you, remaining wide-awake and frustrated for hours. Or, you'll grab the Ambien. I encourage you to try the natural route first.

If you cut your sleep-depriving systems off at the pass, by doing an intelligent, counter-balancing amount of exercise during your day or about an hour before bed, then a more chill sequence right before you sleep, in very little time, you can make huge changes in the way you feel when you dive under those covers.

Exercise that's specifically targeted towards movement that removes muscle tension and centers your body and brain, like yoga, can be a huge ally in your quest for sweet dreams.

Yoga in particular has been shown to calm the central nervous system even as it tones the body, unlike many forms of exercise where the breath ends up high in the chest and short. This breath mimics panic, and can actually cause your body to develop more stress instead of less.

The bonus is, when you add consistent, conscious movement to your week, you'll reap a host of other benefits, like increased ability to focus on those sleep mantras, more weight loss, strength and flexibility, and even an immunity and anti-aging boost.

So try the vids below, and let us know how it works for you!

ACTIVE SERIES DURING THE DAY

To really release stress from common storage areas like hips, lower back, shoulders, while getting a great workout, try this Hipster Floor Practice, or any of my other strong YouTube videos, many of which can be done in much less time:

SECOND SERIES BEFORE SLEEP:

This is a more calming sequence to make sure you're truly re-set for sleeping. You can hold any of the poses for as long as you wish.

 

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Comments

[Madelain]

12:59 AM on 01/08/2010

I do yoga for sleep when i'm ready for bed. I used to have racing thoughts, and as mentioned, uncontrollable restless legs jalsting with energy as tough i needed to go for a run! That all came after my son was born. He would disturb my, what used to be deep sleep, and pretty soon, i couldn't sleep deeply anymore.
Discovered yoga and apart from the regular practice, doing a few stretches, legs over head stuff with the breathing knocked my out cold... It was so Awesome!
Now I make my husband do it... Hehee

[SadieNardini]

05:12 AM on 01/08/2010

Thanks, Madelain for reminding us that sometimes, the thing that makes us wake up most is the person next to us rolling around all night. Yoga for everyone will help both parties be more still, sleep longer, and more deeply. It's a recipe for sleep success for the whole family!

[SpinDown08]

01:48 PM on 01/07/2010

I am a firm believer in this and I put it into practice when needed.

A few years ago, i accidentally discovered that my body stores stress in my ankles. When I have trouble getting to sleep, or I have something on my mind, I stretch my feet at the ankles for a few minutes on each foot, and I'm off to sleep almost immediately. The trick is to determine where each individual stores the stress. It can be different for many.

it's one of the best tricks I know of to get back to sleep.

[SadieNardini]

02:40 PM on 01/07/2010

That's so funny you say that--one of my get to sleep tricks is also to roll my ankles and stretch my calves in bed. Reflexologists and Chinese Medicine practitioners would tell us that these areas connect to our meridians, which regulate our life force. Central Nervous System, too. Foot yoga is incredibly powerful. You've inspired me to make a video and post it. Namaste! Sadie

[Amanda Brennan]

01:20 PM on 01/07/2010

I completely agree with this article. I have had a constant battle with my body and mind when it comes to sleeping at night. I have fibromyalgia and i often have issues with aches and pains not only throughout my day, but also (and maybe especially) when I'm trying to rest. I'm always exhausted from dealing with the pain radiating through my body. I love yoga not only for the fact that it is a workout that doesn't hurt my body more, but also the calming effect it has on my mind and muscles. I have been working to re-establish my home practice for the last few months and have seen a vast difference in how quickly I can fall asleep, and more importantly for me, to stay asleep. I don't even have to force myself to focus on one thing to quiet my mind anymore while I'm laying in bed...rest just comes naturally now. If and when I do wake in the middle of the night, I am able to fall right back to sleep, whereas before I would lay awake for hours at a time. I know that as my practice grows, so will those calming effects. I look forward to being more centered and conscience during my daily routine as well as during my nights and sweet dreams!

[April Anne]

12:50 PM on 01/07/2010

I can personally say that doing yoga before bed works! For years I suffered from insomnia, once I incorporated yoga into my life on a daily basis that all changed! One of my absolute favorite poses to do to calm my mind is supported bridge pose. Laying in supported bridge pose for about a minute after doing a normal practice calms my body and mind completely! From there it's very easy to transition to corpse pose or the bed! Another helpful thing I will do is get completely ready for bed, so I literally can transition from the mat to bed!

[David Rothstein]

12:40 PM on 01/07/2010

I am fortunate to sleep well, but on the rare occasion I can't (usually due to racing thoughts), I find a lavender eye pillow and a few deep breaths help quiet my mind and the next thing I know its morning. I recommend the ones at barefootyoga.com. Its very easy to do and works like a charm for me.

If I would like to quiet my mind or relax my heart during the day, a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing takes me where I want to be.

[arabianway]

11:45 AM on 01/07/2010

Common sense should tell us that ANY exercise during the day will help us sleep at night.

A walk for instance.

[SadieNardini]

12:07 PM on 01/07/2010

Yes, but add deep breathing, whole-body muscle movements, stretching and inversions, and you have the full spectrum of what the body needs for sleep that a walk alone is not going to give you. This is the point of this article--all exercise is not created equal as far as balancing and healing the body and mind properly. Exercise, but exercise smarter and more holistically if you want to sleep better!