Sleep disorders like insomnia are some of the most common medical concerns today. They can have a profound impact on energy levels, mental health, physical health, and overall quality of life. While medications and psychotherapy are often used as treatments for sleep disorders, there is growing evidence that mindfulness-based practices such as yoga can help improve sleep quality when done regularly. 

Interested in learning more about how yoga can help with sleep disorders? Pulmonary Associates of Richmond discusses three ways that yoga may help improve your sleep and enhance your overall quality of life. 

yoga and sleep disordersYoga Helps with Stress Management

Because elevated stress can play a role in developing or worsening sleep disorders, a regular yoga practice may help keep stress in check and boost practitioners’ overall quality of sleep. According to a survey conducted in 2012 by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, over 85% of respondents reported that yoga helped reduce stress levels. In that same survey, over 55% reported yoga improved their sleep. 

Yogic Breathing May Reduce Snoring

Findings from a cross-sectional study published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine suggest that yogic breathing exercises may help strengthen the muscles in the upper airway. Weakening of these muscles over time may contribute to snoring that causes sleep disruptions and poor sleep quality. Practicing yogic breathing to strengthen those muscles may help reduce sleep disturbances caused by snoring.

Regular Exercise Can Improve Sleep

The benefits of regularly moving your body cannot be understated; however, it’s unnecessary to engage in high-intensity activities to improve your sleep. Yoga can provide all the benefits of physical activity without high intensity and can be modified for all experience levels, body types, and abilities. This type of low-impact movement may help improve overall sleep quality while boosting physical health, agility, balance, and flexibility at the same time.

The practice of yoga has been around for thousands of years and has proven beneficial to practitioners throughout the ages. For the modern yogi, this practice can help with mood, stress levels, and physical health. As the evidence grows that yoga helps improve sleep, you may find that adding a gentle yoga practice into your nighttime routine helps calm the body and the mind for a better night of rest. 

 

Our pulmonology specialists at Pulmonary Associates of Richmond provide comprehensive and compassionate pulmonary care to provide diagnosis and treatment for your lung disease. Pulmonary Associates of Richmond is here to help with all lung conditions. Contact us online or by phone at (804) 320-4243