Do you seem to get ill all the time? Get all the bugs going around? Do you envy people who always seem to be healthy and rarely even get a cold? Being sick a lot takes its toll on your quality of life.
The first thing you should do is see your doctor and get a full checkup, of course! You need to be sure that there is no serious condition causing you to be ill more than usual.
Second, keep in mind that it is not a question of luck that you stay healthy or get ill. There are some well-researched reasons as to why some people get ill much more often than others do.
Sleep Deprivation
If you don’t get enough sleep, you will become ill – maybe not the next day but lack of sleep will catch up with you soon. Sleep enables the body to rest and recover. Without sleep you are not able to function properly.
How many times did you experience the impact of a sleepless night on your performance the next day? But it is not just about the mental fatigue… During sleep, the immune system produces proteins that fight inflammation and disease. When you are sick or stressed, your body needs even more of these proteins! You must get enough sleep to fight infections.
It is bad enough to get colds or a flu but sleep deprivation is known to have much more harmful and long lasting effects on your health. Serious health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and even diabetes have all been linked to sleep deprivation.
How can yoga help you sleep better?
Doing a relaxing yoga sequence in the evening will help you fall asleep more easily. Just 5 minutes of “leg up the wall” or child pose will relax you to find sleep easier.
Do a short meditation before bedtime. No, you don’t have to spend 20 minutes meditating if that is not what you desire. Even 2-3 minutes spent in the “now”, focusing on gratitude can work wonders!
Yoga breathing to the rescue if falling asleep seems to be impossible. Did you know that 4-7-8 can be the secret to great sleep?
The mysterious 4-7-8 means a certain breathing rhythm. Let me explain!
4: Breathe in through your nose for four seconds,
7: hold your breath for seven seconds,
8: exhale through your mouth for eight seconds!
Here is an explanation video from Dr. Weil to help you learn this special breathing pattern.
For more detailed information on how 4-7-8 breathing will help you sleep better, check out a recent article on the St. Louis Corporate Yoga site.
Another article you might want to read is about 7 Relaxation Tips Before Falling Asleep.
Have you ever practiced yoga breathing to help you fall asleep? What worked for you? Please feel free to share your experience with our community in the comments section!
Keep coming back to our blog as we continue to share ways yoga can actually help you stay healthy this season.
Your YouTube feed is probably one of the best around. I appreciate all of the great videos you post. Because of your teacher training I know the 4-7-8 breath, but this showed just another great explanation of it. Also this blog post is chalk-full of great facts! Some that I can’t wait to whip out when I am teaching and to spread the great yoga love everywhere!