Yoga and Exercise for Insomnia

Yoga, relaxation and regular exercise can improve sleep quality and reduce the stress that keeps people awake.

Helpful practices before bed

• Slow belly breathing: inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 6 to 8, for 5 to 10 minutes
• Alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana): gentle and calming
• Humming breath (bhramari) for a few rounds
• Yoga nidra: a guided deep relaxation, lying down, for 15 to 30 minutes
• Gentle poses: legs up the wall, supported child's pose, seated forward bend and corpse pose (shavasana)
• Meditation or a body scan to quiet the mind

Exercise

• Aim for about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as walking, cycling or swimming.
• Morning or afternoon exercise suits most people. Avoid vigorous exercise within 2 to 3 hours of bedtime.
• Outdoor daylight exposure helps set the body clock.

What to avoid

• Forceful breathing such as kapalabhati and bhastrika close to bedtime
• Intense, heating or stimulating yoga late at night
• Using screens for guided practice if they keep you awake. Audio only is better.
• Pushing through pain or dizziness

If you have other conditions

Ask your doctor first if you have heart or lung disease, are pregnant, or have a physical injury.

Key point

Calming practices help, and work best together with a regular sleep routine and, if needed, CBT-I.

Before your appointment

Keep a sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks, noting bedtime, wake time, night awakenings, naps, caffeine and alcohol. List all medicines, herbs and sleeping aids you take. Mention snoring, breathing pauses, leg discomfort, pain, low mood, anxiety and daytime sleepiness while driving. Ask about CBT-I, tests, medicine options and the warning signs that mean you should call 112 or Tele-MANAS at 14416.