Yoga Therapy for Better Sleep

Yoga therapy and lifestyle therapy for chronic sleep issues in Bloomington Indiana.

Yoga Therapy for Chronic Sleep Issues

Yoga therapy can be a particularly effective resource for those experiencing chronic sleep issues. Although sleep is affected by various elements, and in turn can cause several of these elements—stress leads to anxiety which results in sleeplessness, which in turn may lead to poor eating habits, difficulty in concentrating, and poor emotional control—this cyclical effect can be interrupted by the simple practice of yoga-based mind and body practices.

Sleep for Wellbeing

Throughout this site you may have noticed the term svastha: it refers to whole-being wellbeing, a balanced state of body and mind. For most of us, this is something to patiently and diligently work toward in our daily lives yet is not easily achieved. This said, there are simple, guided practices that enable us to pause, step outside of the patterns of our day and ruminations of our mind, and momentarily guide us closer to that elusive state of svastha.

Yoga is about letting go of all that is not essential. When we let go of the "do" mindset, the result is a clearer, more lucid state of mind, able to act voluntarily and without extraneous influence. Despite very real, or sometimes perceived, challenges and obstacles, our mind and thoughts are still with us, affecting us both positively and negatively. Having recourse to a guided, introspective practice is a simple yet substantive means of bringing balance and peace. the simple non-action of allowing the earth to support us is at the heart of all original yoga practice—to simply "be." An example is the practice of svasana, the voluntary relaxation of the body with the purpose of also relaxing and clearing the mind of cluttered, ruminative thought patterns, rigid mindset, worries... the non-essentials.

Lifestyle Management

Adequate sleep is, perhaps, the most important lifestyle factor to consider when addressing chronic health issues and lack of overall wellbeing. Do you find time to be in the sun, even during the winter? When do you eat, and what do you eat? If you get some exercise or movement into your day, is it strenuous or moderate—and is it in the morning or evening? Are you generally relaxed or do details, commitments and deadlines make you anxious and tense? Are you surrounded by natural lighting, LEDs or incandescent light for the majority of your workday?

These and other factors can directly impact the ability to get to sleep, stay asleep, and the quality of sleep. Moreover, the body and brain use sleep-time to repair cells and to move toxic byproducts out of the system. Rather than prescribing a specific sleep regimen, Lifestyle Therapy and ongoing, long-term support may help change unhelpful habits and lifestyle patterns, as well as looking at the larger picture: health challenges, emotional state, relationships, and external factors such as living space and type of work.

— Did You Know? —

One third of adults are sleep deprived

Long-term poor-quality sleep and lack of sleep may reduce a woman's lifespan by 4.7 years (on average), and are a risk factor for: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health disturbances and cognitive decline, metabolic / hormonal imbalances, obesity, as well as a significantly lowered ability for the body to engage its immune system defenses.

Environmental noise is one of the leading environmental risks for physical and mental health and well-being, contributing significantly to the burden of disease and sleep disturbance.

A large study indicates that people 50 and older who sleep five hours or less at night have a greater risk of developing multiple chronic diseases as they age.

In 2022, the World Sleep Society (WSS) developed a Global Sleep Health Task Force in order to advocate for sleep medicine to be recognized as a cornerstone of human health and wellbeing by governments and institutions worldwide. As part of this work, the task force is collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2023, a global call to action was published in The Lancet Public Health, urging decisionmakers to recognize sleep health as a foundation of human health.