Yoga for Better Sleep

1...40...98...180...1900...and the counting could just go on and on. It's the same story every night. No matter whether you count sheep, or the number of nights you haven't slept well enough. It just doesn't matter. You aren't getting proper sleep, and that is driving you nuts. Every night you wind down thinking tonight will be the night you'll finally have your rest and will not have to get to office feeling like a zombie. But that's not happening. You've tried doing everything that you possibly can, but still nothing. Hot baths, a glass of hot milk, philosophy books and what not. I see your problem. Have you tried yoga? It is said that yoga for better sleep has been proven to be a very, very effective solution. There are these certain yoga poses that you can take up and in order to gain yoga health benefits besides some sound sleep. In the following section, we will let you in on some of these yoga poses and help you deal with your problem better.

Yoga Poses for Better Sleep

The perils of lack of sleep are so many, and I don't really have to get into that one. You might have experienced it all the same with day after day of little rest. You're tired, irritable, over sensitive, prone to low concentration levels and your efficiency has dropped like heavy lead in water. These are only a fraction of the effects that less sleep will have on the body and mind. But thankfully there are the stress relief yoga exercises for better sleep that you can make use of and get that sleep coming in wave after wave. Here are some of the exercises that you can use.

Legs Up the Wall

1. This yoga pose will have the tension ebbing away from your legs and get you completely relaxed.
2. Take a yoga mat and fold it into a single fold and place it against the wall, about 6 inches away.
3. Sit on this mat facing the wall.
4. Lie down and bring your legs up into the 90 degree angle by bringing your buttocks as close to the wall as possible.
5. If this seems too stressful then keep the legs at an angle that is between 90-70 degree.
6. Place your hands on your sides, with the palms facing the ceiling.
7. Concentrate on your breathing when you are in this position and simply feel the stretch in the back of your legs.
8. Lie in this way for 10 minutes.

The Goddess Pose

1. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together.
2. Let your legs open up and fall on the sides so that they create a diamond shape between the legs.
3. Let your arms stay on the sides and keep them completely limp.
4. Concentrate on your breathing and lie in this position for 15 minutes.
5. If you feel pressure under your neck or your legs start getting cramps, then place pillows under the neck and the knees respectively.

Child Pose

1. This yoga pose completely relaxes you and takes away all the tension.
2. Sit on a mat or a mattress and bend your legs so that you are sitting on your heels.
3. Then take your body forward so that your chest is touching the bed and so is the forehead.
4. The chest should touch the knees.
5. Extend your arms forward so that they are straight in front of you.
6. This will provide a great stretch to your entire back and body.
7. Simply breathe in and out and relax in this position for 10 minutes.

Corpse Pose

1. Lie down on your back and stretch out your legs and place your hands on the sides.
2. Completely relax your muscles.
3. Then starting at the toes and moving up to your head, imagine that your muscles are becoming softer and softer, one by one.
4. Then concentrate on your breathing and think of how the breath is being taken in and being pushed out.
5. Try and only think of your breathing and don't let your thoughts wander about. If you find that your thoughts are moving on to different things, bring your concentration back and think of your breathing once again.
6. It should seem like you're dead.
7. Stay like this for 5-15 minutes. You'll feel completely relaxed.

These poses of yoga for better sleep will definitely help to get you the desired results you want. The way in which they work is that they draw out all the tension and stress that you might be experiencing and thereby help to get the body to relax. The direct result of which is that sleep will no longer be a problem. And is that not what you wanted?