Many people suffer from insomnia. Some experience short periods of sleeplessness when going through a challenging time in life, while others are plagued with the problem night after night. The cause of insomnia varies, but stress, medical problems, life changes and some prescription drugs can contribute to the inability to get to sleep and sleep throughout the night.
Although sleep medications are available, there are natural methods to induce sleep. Practicing yoga is effective for combating many of the causes of insomnia. Yoga helps relieve stress, improves a wide range of medical conditions and the awareness and peace experienced with yoga can help you get a better night’s sleep.
There are specific asanas that help with insomnia. Triangle pose, plough pose, standing forward bend, downward dog and head to knee pose can help with insomnia. Also, inversions, such as shoulder stand and forward bends, such as standing forward bend and seated forward bend can help relax the body and mind to prepare you for rest. Some other yoga poses to try for insomnia include locust and corpse pose at the end of the practice.
There is definitely a tendency among some students to rush through corpse pose and end the practice sooner. This is never really a good idea, but is especially bad if you are dealing with insomnia. Instead, relax into the pose and spend a bit more time completely relaxed. When you climb into bed, you may find it easier to find that peace again and drift off to sleep.
Likewise, there are some poses and types of yoga that should be avoided, if you have insomnia. High energy vinyasa flow sequences are not the best choice for inducing relaxation. Similarly, avoid power yoga and other classes that increase energy and go for a gentle hatha practice, yoga nidra or other form of yoga that encourages relaxation.