Bedtime yoga: Here’s how to relax for a good night’s sleep

The effects of a good night’s sleep become evident in the way our body functions. Sleep affects the health of our organs, and even how the brain functions. If you want to attain success in life, do not lose out on your sleep. During the night, when the body rests, our systems are reset and recharged for us. The quality of our sleep at night determines our mood, appetite and lifestyle habits. Irregular sleep can lead to a host of physical ailments including mental issues such as anxiety, stress and depression. To keep an optimal state of emotional, mental and physical faculties, the body needs adequate nutrition along with restful sleep. 

Have an early dinner

Avoid eating late, as this can be quite detrimental to your health. Eating late means that the body does not get sufficient rest, as it is busy with the process of digestion. This will only mean that you have disturbed sleep, thereby increasing the chances of weight gain and lowering your body’s ability to function properly. That is why it is recommended that you eat an early dinner well before 8 or 9 pm. This will ensure that your quality of sleep does not suffer in any way. When you eat a late dinner, it can also make you feel heavy and bloated, disturbing your sleep. 

Turn off the phone/laptop

Excessive screen time is not only a cause for blurred vision and poor eyesight, but it also affects your sleep. If you have a tendency to stay up late to use your phone or laptop, be assured that it can damage your health in the long run. Give your eyes some rest, as the blue light of the digital screen disturbs the body’s sleep clock. Lack of sleep can put anyone in an agitated state of mind. Less sleep means you will feel moody and tired. Get your beauty sleep at night, so you can get an early start to the day and make it a productive one.

Sleep environment

Spend at least 15-20 minutes each night on setting up a good sleep environment, before bedtime. Use aromatic diffusers in the room, play soothing music etc. as these are some of the ways you can sleep better.  Sleep helps you lower stress, calm the mind and enjoy good health.

To improve your sleep quality, you can hold each pose for 30 seconds to one minute or even longer. Repeat for three sets, and gradually increase the time to 10-15 minutes.

1. Sukhasana – happy pose

Formation of the posture

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• Sit in a cross legged position.
• Place your palms on the knees facing upwards in prapthi mudra.
• Sit with your back straight.

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2. Vajrasana

This is the only pose that can be done on a full stomach. In fact, it should be done right after having a meal.

Formation of the posture

• Gently drop your knees down.
• Keep your heels close to each other.
• Instead of placing the toes atop the other, right and left must be next to each other.
• Place your palms on your knees facing upward.
• Straighten your back and look forward.

3. Advasana – reverse corpse pose

Formation of the posture

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Stretch out your arms.
• Keep your palms facing down shoulder-width apart.
• Forehead remains on the ground.

4. Meditation – sthiti dhyan

• Find a place where you have no distraction, preferably a natural environment for this technique.
• Sit in any comfortable posture such as sukhasana.
• Look ahead for five seconds, behind you for another five seconds, and on the right and left sides for five seconds each.
• Now close your eyes and recollect as many details that you observed.

This meditation technique can make you feel calm, thus allowing you to enjoy a night of restful sleep. Along with stithi dhyan, you can also practise meditation techniques such as brahmari dhyan, aarambh dhyan etc. Yoga’s greatest ability is its potential to bring stillness to the mind, which lowers and eliminates anxiety, stress and mental tiredness.