Looking for ways to help you sleep better? According to a recent study by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School yoga is a multicomponent practice that is known to be effective in reducing sleep-wake periods during the night. The study showed significant statistically significant improvements in the areas of:
- Sleep efficiency
- Total sleep time
- Total wake time
- Sleep onset latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep)
- Wake time after sleep onset
The benefits of yoga include improved strength, flexibility, breathing and stress reduction.
The effects of yoga on sleep cycles and the subconscious mind are less well known and this study begins to shed some light on the subject.
Many people use pillows for yoga, meditation and other relaxation practices. A buckwheat pillow makes an excellent meditation cushion or a pillow for yoga because the all natural buckwheat hulls are breathable while providing firm support.
Sleep Expert Michael Breus, PhD, ABSM blogs about the subject as it relates to insomnia on the WebMD – Sleep Well blog.
