Can Yoga Help You Sleep Better?

The show eightWest on WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids, Mich., did a feature on “Yoga for Better Sleep.” The five-minute segment shows some yoga moves that can help you relax for bedtime.



So can yoga really help you sleep better?

Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported on a small study from Northwestern University. It involved 11 adults with chronic primary insomnia. Sleep improved for those who practiced yoga and meditation for two months.

A recent study from India evaluated “cyclic meditation.” This technique combines yoga postures with periods of lying down on your back to rest.

Thirty men practiced cyclic meditation twice during the same day. On another day they had two sessions of rest without the yoga postures.

The study found that the men had more deep, slow-wave sleep after cyclic meditation. They also had fewer awakenings. And they felt that their sleep was more refreshing.

There are a variety of cognitive and behavioral methods that are effective for treating insomnia. Learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy on SleepEducation.com.