It could be that you are not relaxing enough if you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. In this guide, well discuss some expert-backed relaxation techniques to help you get some shut-eye. We will be discussing three main techniques: tai-chi, breathing exercises, yoga. Well also check out some other relaxation techniques, including meditating, focusing on a specific topic, practicing progressive muscle relaxation, and using self-hypnosis.
Please note: Although the content of Sleepopolis is intended to be informative, it should not replace medical advice and supervision by your healthcare provider. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see a trained professional.
Susie Levan is a meditation teacher and author of How to Forgiveness – The Lessons from a Near-Death Experience. She says that 7 to 9 hours of sleep is essential for your mental and physical health, particularly for seniors. You can get enough sleep by doing breathing exercises, Tai Chi, and stretching. Let’s take a look at each one.
Tai chi originated in China as a martial art hundreds of years ago, and it has been used for physical and mental health ever since. Wellness expert Vinay Amin of Eu Natural describes tai chi as the practice of synchronizing physical movement with the breath. He says it allows you to become increasingly aware of the energy flowing around your body, which can help you calm down.
There are many styles of tai-chi. Most involve a combination meditation, weight shifting and concentration. Tai chi has been shown to help improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and help you relax.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell, founder of Helping Babies Sleep, says that controlled breathing is the most simple and effective method for helping people relax. A study published in Frontiers of Psychiatry found that deep, slow breathing can be more effective in combating insomnia than sleeping pills.
A 2012 study from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health collected survey data from 34,525 adults and found that over 55% of participants who practiced yoga reported better sleep, while over 85% noted that yoga helped reduce their stress. A study in Sleep found that stretching reduced the severity of insomnia and improved the sleep of those with chronic insomnia.
Yoga is particularly beneficial for seniors, as it involves stretching.
Tai Chi For Sleep
Wellness coach Lynell Ross of Test Prep Insight says the aim of tai chi is to focus on breathing and movements. It can reduce stress, increase flexibility, and strengthen your muscle. She says it calms your nervous system and helps you be in the present, since it requires focusing on the sensations your body feels as you breathe.
According to Brandon Nicholas, a personal trainer at The Fitness Tribe, Tai Chi is like a physical meditation. The more subtle its effects on the body, it has a greater impact on the mind. This greatly aids in quality sleep and preventing from falling asleep. It is a holistic martial art that trains the mind and body. This can help improve your overall health and endurance.
Practicing tai chi exercises before bedtime can help you relax. Let’s look at some exercises that you might like to try. First, lets start with a warmup.
Warmup
Lynell Ross is the one who warms up this warming up.
- Do some simple shoulder rolls, and then turn your head to the side.
- Focus on your breath as you practice deep breathing.
- Deep breathing is as simple as inhaling up to 8 times, holding it for 4 times, and then exhaling at the count 8.
Rising And Falling
Vinay Amin suggests practicing the rising and falling tai chi exercise before bedtime. To do so, follow these steps:
- Standing straight, keep your arms straight and your feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
- For the rising breath, inhale through your nose. Slowly raise your hands towards the sky as you inhale. Your hands should reach shoulder height when you have reached the top of your breathing.
- To get the falling breath, inhale through your nose. Next, drop your arms and bend your knees while lowering your hips. Maintain your posture while dropping into a squat that you can easily hold. At the bottom of the breath, your hands should be by your side and you should be in a quarter squat.
Back Twist
Lynell Ross suggests that you practice the back twist exercise following these steps:
- Stand with your feet pointing forward.
- Move your body towards one side for as far as you can bend.
- Move your body back so you are standing normally.
- Move your body towards the other side.
- Restore your upright position
- This process can be repeated several times.
Circling Arms Form
- Brandon Nicholas suggests practicing the circling arms form exercise by doing the following:
- Keep your feet shoulder width apart and ensure that your weight is evenly distributed between your feet.
- Cross your arms and place your palms in front of your body.
- Slowly inhale and raise your arms above your head. Then, clasp your hands.
- Inhale and slowly lower your arms until you reach the starting position.
- Repeat these steps until you feel relaxed.
Horse Stance
Lynell Ross recommends that you do the horse stance exercise. To do this, follow these steps:
- Keep your feet apart and your spine straight.
- Bend from your knees to 90 degrees.
- Lift your arms until they are aligned with your chest.
Breathing Exercises For Sleep
We will now review steps you can take for practicing breathing exercises. Take a look through each of these, and pick one to try first.
Inhale More than you exhale
Lynette Suchar, a yoga and meditation teacher at studio BE, says you should start with a few deep breaths in and out of your mouth. She then recommends exhaling longer than you inhale by an increased count of two. Try inhaling for four seconds, and exhaling six seconds. She recommends you repeat this five to ten times.
Count To Four
Dr. Mitchell offers some guidelines for breathing exercises, including counting to four. This is how it works:
- Inhale for four seconds.
- Release for four seconds.
- Hold your breath for four seconds.
- Repeat multiple times.
This is especially helpful if you awake at night with stress thoughts. It helps you to return your mind to counting which, though it may seem simple, can help you relax.
Alternate Your Breathing Through Your Nose
Lynette Suchar says alternate-nostril breathing before bedtime can help calm your nervous system. She says you can do this by following these steps:
- Your right hand should be used to place your index finger at left nostril crevice and your thumb at right nostril crevice. Dont squeeze yet.
- Breathe through your right nostril by closing your left nostril using your index finger.
- Close the right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.
Use Essential Oils While Breathing
Milana Perepyolkina, author of Gypsy Energy Secrets: Turning a Bad Day into a Good Day No Matter What Life Throws at You, says that essential oils have been used for millennia to treat anxiety. She says its best to use them while practicing breathing exercises. These are the steps to follow:
- Place a few drops on your palms, and rub them together.
- Cup your nose and inhale as you count to four.
- Exhale to the count of four.
- Inhale to the count of four.
- Inhale until you reach the count of 4.
- Continue this process for several minutes.
She recommends using the following essential oils:
- Lavender
- Petitgrain
- Marjoram
- Valerian
- Ylang Ylang
Yoga For Sleep
Now lets take a look at four different yoga techniques you can use. The one that helps you relax the most is the one you choose.
Legs Up The Wall Pose
These directions come from an article from the Harvard Medical School:
- Place your mat perpendicular to a blank space on your wall.
- Place your right or left side on the mat, and then move to the wall.
- Lie on the mat and place your legs up the wall.
- Relax your arms by your sides.
Lynette Suchar says that holding this position for five to fifteen minutes will help you fall asleep.
Sitting Mountain
This set of instructions is provided by the University of Arkansas for how to sit up in a mountain pose.
- Sit upright in a chair, keeping your shoulders rolled down and back so that they are away from your ears and ensuring your head is in line with your spine.
- Place your feet flat on the ground so that they touch your knees.
- Place your palms in front, either on your sides or on your thighs.
Locust
Lilianne Sanders, a licensed yoga instructor at Total Shape provides these directions for the locust pose:
- Keep your stomach in the Plank position. Your elbows should be under your shoulders.
- Deeply exhale while putting the tops of your feet on the floor and clasping your hands behind your back.
- Take a deep inhale and look forward, lifting your chest and arms.
- Repeat this for one minute or for 10 to 15 breaths.
Spinal Twist Stretch
Trainer Chris Higgins from Calisthentics.gear.com has the next instructions for the spine twist yoga pose.
- You can lie on your back (or on a bed).
- Keep your knees slightly higher than your hips and bend your knees 90 degrees.
- Place your hips, shoulders and head in alignment.
- This step is a variant to holding your knees. Extend your lower arm in front of your body to chest level, keeping it on the floor or mattress while reaching to the rib cage with your upper arm.
- Pull your shoulders back and down without moving your torso.
- Exhale and slowly rotate your torso by using your upper arm to pull your rib cage. Rotating your hips can cause your upper thigh and hips to slide backwards when you twist. Avoid rotating your hips as you pull your rib cage around with the upper arm. Hip rotation causes your upper thigh and hips to slide backwards while twisting.
- Continue to rotate your torso until you find a comfortable position.
- This position should be held for approximately 15-30 seconds. Then, release the tension and let go for 30 seconds.
Other Relaxation Techniques
Let’s look at other relaxation methods. Although they might not all work for everyone, you may find some useful.
Meditate
Susie Levan states that anxiety and stress can sometimes cause sleep problems. Meditation can help with this. She says, As we practice the art of meditation, we help our body to do what it most naturally yearns to do at the end of the day-to rest.
Monica Bey, a meditation teacher and hypnotist, agrees that meditation can aid in sleep because it can calm your mind, body, and spirit. Five minutes of meditation every night can help improve the quality of your sleep, she says.
To meditate, she suggests closing your eyes. Allow your body to fall into a state of meditation, which will eventually lead to you falling asleep.
She also suggests doing two to five minutes of meditation in the morning. This will help you start the day at peace, which can reduce the amount of wind down time you need to spend before bedtime.
Focus On A Specific Topic
Katey Collins of Bee Happy Therapy recommends focusing on a specific topic to naturally allow your worries and fears to disappear. These are the steps to follow:
- You can choose a topic such as the places you want to travel.
- Identify a place that you would like to explore that starts with an A, such as Aruba.
- Think of a place that starts with a B, such as Brazil.
- Continue this process until you are completely asleep.
She also says that if your mind wanders, recognize the thought and remind yourself that you can address that thought tomorrow. Next, bring your attention back to the exercise.
Practice Progressive Muscle Exercises
Progressive muscle exercises are also possible. Joy Rains, a mindfulness trainer and author of Meditation Illuminated says you can do this by following these directions:
- Relax and lie on your back. Pay attention to your body. Counteract distracting thoughts by gently bringing your attention back to how your body feels.
- Begin at your feet and work your way up to the top of your head. Then, release each muscle group gently for five seconds.
Do not strain.
According to Karen Azeez (holistic wellness coach, author of The Kindfulness Solution, Transforming Your Body and Life Through Greater Awareness and Self-Compassion), this type of exercise is best done when you take slow, deep, and steady breaths.
Practice Self-Hypnosis
Monica Bey suggests that you practice self-hypnosis in order to induce a sleep response. Follow these steps to get started:
- When you feel yourself beginning to drift off to sleep, press your left pinky finger and thumb together.
- Keep your thumb and pinky together. Then, look at the back of each eyelid until you fall asleep.
- Repeat this for multiple nights in a row to create a subconscious pattern in which putting your pinky and thumb together creates a subconscious trigger for sleep.
Last Word From Sleepopolis
This concludes our guide to sleep relaxation. We hope youve been able to see how tai chi, breathing exercises, yoga, and other relaxation techniques can help you unwind before bedtime. Please remember that we arent medical experts, so this information should not be considered medical advice.
