Do you often feel tired and run down, like you could use an extra hour or two of sleep each night? If so, you’re not alone.
The National Sleep Foundation reports that nearly one-third of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body is going to start paying the price.
One way to help repay your sleep debt and recover your lost sleep time is with Yoga Nidra.
What Is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a form of Yoga that involves deep relaxation and meditation.
It’s been shown to be an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and boost mood.
While most people associate Yoga with an active movement practice using different postures called asanas, Yoga Nidra is actually done lying down like you are sleeping.
In a Yoga Nidra session, you are guided through a series of relaxation techniques that will help you to release tension and stress, and promote feelings of calm and well-being.
How Yoga Nidra Helps Repay Your Sleep Debt:
Many Yoga teachers claim that 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 2-3 hours of sleep at night.
While this hasn’t been backed up by scientific research, anecdotally many people who practice Yoga Nidra swear by it as a way to catch up on sleep and feel more rested if they are chronically tired or stressed out.
Here is how Yoga Nidra may help you recover lost sleep and repay your sleep debt:
1. Yoga Nidra is a form of meditation that helps you focus and calm the mind. This may lead to a better night’s sleep as your mind is less busy. It has been found to be an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety and stress levels [1].
2. Yoga Nidra helps you relax and fall asleep more quickly. If you do it before bed, it can also help you achieve a more restful sleep [2].
3. Yoga Nidra is a great way to reduce cortisol, the “stress hormone.” High levels of cortisol can interfere with sleep and also make it difficult to fall asleep at night [3].
4. Empirical studies on Yoga Nidra confirm positive effects on various physiological and psychological criteria such as insomnia, addictive behavior, chronic diseases, pain therapy, pregnancies, geriatrics, asthma as well as disorders of the cardiovascular system [4].
5. Regular Yoga Nidra practice has been found to be highly effective at treating chronic insomnia [5].
So, if you’re looking for a way to repay your sleep debt, consider giving Yoga Nidra a try. You may be surprised at how well it can help you relax and get the rest you need.
How To Experience Yoga Nidra For Yourself:
If you’re looking for a way to repay your sleep debt, try out Yoga Nidra yourself with this Experience Yoga Nidra playlist on YouTube.
A 2002 study used the Yoga Nidra audio sessions from this Experience Yoga Nidra playlist and scientists used brain scan imaging to observe participants during after their Yoga Nidra session.
The study found that a 45-minute single Yoga Nidra resulted in a 65% increase in dopamine release, which helped to improve focus, energy and mood.
Here’s how to try out Experience Yoga Nidra for yourself:
For a 20-minute quick nap session listen to The Wholeness Of Your Nature: The Little Yoga Nidra
For a 45-minute deep rest session, listen to The Discover of Your Self: The Deep Yoga Nidra
Both of these sessions are from the Experience Yoga Nidra playlist on YouTube that I have embedded below for you to listen.
I hope you enjoy these free tracks from Swami Janakananda’s Experience Yoga Nidra album.
