Sleep, sleep, sleep
Plus the usual mind–body research highlights
Now, I’m not going to pretend to be a sleep expert. There are plenty of other people who talk very eloquently about the science of sleep and the practices to help us sleep better.
But I did get contacted recently by a journalist to give some yoga-related sleep advice for an article. I spent time thinking about what my ‘top 5 tips for a perfect sleep routine’, as she called it, would be, went through my research database, my older articles, and wrote a long response.
The article is behind a paywall, so you may or may not be able to get it (it seems to be behind a paywall some but not all the time). But only a teeny bit of what I shared was included, so I thought I’d share it with you in case you find it useful.
Do some physical activity during the day
There is research showing that exercise may help with improving how well you feel that you have slept, and even help with insomnia (see, for example, here). This includes mind–body practices like yoga, but it might also be something as simple as going for a walk. I have an Oura ring and check my sleep data in the morning, and it's really interesting for looking for correlations between what I did the day before and how I slept. For example, I've found that I sleep more deeply when I have gone for a run (I should say, I'm a terrible runner, so not talking about massive distances here!).
Try yoga nidra
Yoga nidra is a beautiful guided relaxation practice that may help you sleep better or at least feel like you've slept better (see for example here, and more detail here). A lot of people, practice yoga nidra before sleeping (or to fall asleep), and this can help your mind and body relax, so that you can drift off more easily. But yoga nidra is not just for bed time – try practicing during the day and see what happens (I actually love practicing during the day as it can offer a little boost of energy). There is also evidence that yoga nidra makes us feel less stressed and worried, which we know is a big reason why many of us find it difficult to sleep, so a regular practice could help us sleep better overall. There are lots of recordings you can access online (including my course on Insight Timer)
Practice slow breathing
A breathing practice is a great way to support our mental health, and also something we can do to relax and get ready for bed. Slow breathing practices can often feel calming because they lower our heart rate (and also our blood pressure; see for example here). You can try a simple 3-part breath, placing your hands on your belly and breathing into your belly, ribs and chest, and then breathing out and feeling your chest, ribs and belly relax. Another one with a bit more science behind it is coherent breath, which is an even inhale and an even exhale (most research has been looking at 6 breaths per minute). I like to use the mindfulness app on my Apple watch, which I've set to a coherent rhythm, as I also find the vibration on the wrist quite relaxing.
Create a yoga bedtime routine
I love the idea of this but I'd be a massive hypocrite if I said I did this. Still, a short restorative yoga sequence would be a great way to relax the body, calm the mind and get yourself ready for sleep. Use pillows, blankets etc to get yourself very comfortable and cosy, and try 1 or 2 restorative yoga poses like reclining butterfly or legs against the wall. Check out Lisa Sanfillipo's yoga for sleep book.
Don't take your phone to bed
Unless I'm staying in a hotel, I never keep my phone in my bedroom, partly to avoid the temptation to play with it, partly to avoid being woken up by random late-night phone calls or Whatsapp messages. It also means it's unlikely to be the first thing you do when you wake up. If you can't keep your phone outside the bedroom, then at least ensure you have it on a 'Do not disturb' mode.
Want to know more? We’ll be talking sleep in one of the workshops I’m running with Melanie Cooper. The next one is on depression, inflammation and yoga, on June 14th, online, with a recording available if you can’t attend live.
Mind–body research highlights
Yes, nadhi shodana has a calming effect
Nadhi shodana, or alternate nostril breathing, is one of the most common and popular breathing practices from the yoga tradition. If it’s one you like for its calming effects, you’ll be glad to know that there is evidence that it does actually calm you physiologically, by activating the sympathetic nervous system. This study is tiny (just 40 people) and not controlled, and I don’t think it’s the first one to show this, but sharing anyway.
This study, by contrast, was controlled and a little larger (91 participants, although 23 dropped out), and found that the calming effects alongside the reduction in blood pressure were maintained for 6 weeks. In this case, participants had to practice 10 minutes of alternate nostril breathing after a couple of minutes of gentle belly breathing daily during the study period. Definitely worth considering for those with high blood pressure (or everyone really) if it only takes 10 minutes of practice (obviously, alongside medication if you are taking it).
Yoga practice reduces inflammatory gene expression
Obviously I get excited whenever I see studies on inflammation, so I had to include this one. The study looked at SKY, which is mostly a breath-based practice but in this case it also included some gentle stretching too. The study found changes in the expression of genes coding proteins that are involved in inflammation, which in simple terms means that there was a reduction in the production of inflammatory proteins. None of the participants had ever practiced before, so it looks like anyone can get the immune benefits of the practice. BUT as ever, worth mentioning that this was a teeny tiny study (14 participants).
Workshop
I’m going to be sharing more in the coming months about the wellbeing benefits of writing and the intimate connection between mind–body and writing. But in the meantime, I’m excited to be co-hosting a playful workshop, designed to connect body, mind and creativity. We’ll use a mixture of yoga practices and fully guided writing exercises to open up to new possibilities.
You don’t have to be a writer to join! This is very much a ‘writing for wellbeing’ kind of writing, and who knows, maybe you’ll discover the joy of writing, or maybe you’ll translate this into renewed creativity in one of your other passions.
Workshop takes place at L’Atelier, a fully equipped boutique yoga studio in Muswell Hill, North London – easy to get to from Finsbury Park, East Finchley or Highgate.
Only 10 spots, and many are already gone, so book yours now to avoid missing out on the fun.