If you are not able to sleep and are suffering from Insomnia, chances are that you have seen all the videos there are to tell you about what causes lack of sleep and how to overcome it. But did you know that yoga can help?
In this article, we will do three things
1. Summarise what causes insomnia.
2. What doctors and sleep experts tell us about it.
3. What you need to actually do to help yourself to sleep better, according to Pranayama Yoga .
Causes of insomnia
So let us quickly summarise the reasons which could lead to sleeping disorders, like insomnia or sleeplessness.
- Hyperactive Mind /Uncontrolled thinking
- Distracted Mind due to intense desire.
- Physical pain or injury
- Pulmonary Diseases such as Asthma
- Psychiatric conditions
- Side effect of Stimulants like caffeine and depressants like alcohol which disrupt sleep cycles
- Daily stress from work or relationships
- Stress and Anxiety about exams.
- Stress about not being able to sleep (Insomnia)
- Emotional turmoil.
- Environmental factors like working nightshifts
- Having new born baby.
- Snoring partner,
- Jetlag
Sleeping Disorders lead to anxiety and depression. Self medicating with depressants like alcohol or THC will make it worse. Sleeping pills like benzodiazepines are addictive and have dangerous side effects. Yoga provides a natural, safe and effective treatment for insomnia.
Effects of sleeplessness on your body
How does Insomnia work biologically in our body?
When for any reason you are not able to sleep. It leads to …
1. Heightened level of stress hormone cortisol (plays a role in normal waking-up process)
2. Body is flooded with cortisol, adrenaline and adrenocorticotropic hormones
3. Reduced level of oestrogen and progesterone which happen during menopause
4. This leads to a Strong sympathetic trigger (a fight or flight response)
5. It increases heart rate and blood pressure.
6. Body is hyper aroused.
7. There is a Metabolic imbalance (high Metabolic Rate)
8. Brain is fatigued due to consumption of cerebral glucose, the main source of brain energy causing exhaustion, confusion and frustration.
Clinical method of treating insomnia (what sleep experts say)
The traditional way of treating sleeplessness consists mainly of four methods:
1. Managing the Stress that leads to hyperarousal
2. Good Sleep practices – quiet and dark room, only use the bed for sleeping, tire yourself with relaxing activity like reading, meditating (funny) or journaling
3. CBT – change habits, beliefs and reduce stress
4. Regulate metabolism by setting resting and waking hours.
They will also prescribe highly addictive medication.
The truth is that no one will be able to help you to sleep better if you do not take care of your mental health. The health of our Mind is our responsibility. Just like the body needs healthy habits, so does the Mind. Understanding your Mind is the first step towards it.
So turn this problem of sleeplessness into an opportunity to understand how your Mind works, learn to control it through yoga and nourish it for a healthy future.
Yoga for sleeplessness. The theory: understanding the brain
Brain has two categories of Function
1. Perception, Processing & Projection: This is the Manas or the Mind which is like a receiver and transmitter. It receives input from the senses of perception. This input is processed by the intellect which decides upon a response. This response is transmitted by the Mind and is executed by our senses of action.
2. Control of all the systems in the Body. The Brain and the Central Nervous System is the controlling unit of our body. All the other systems like respiratory, cardiovascular, circulatory, endocrine digestion, reproductory etc. are controlled by the Brain and CNS.
So when the brain is disturbed it disturbs both these functions and this includes sleep.
What disturbs the Mind ?
1. Constant stimulation of the brain through excessive sensory input.
– Too Much screen time — television, mobile, computer usage,
– exposure to loud noises, loud music or
– unhealthy food,
– heavy use of stimulant such as caffeine or depressants like alcohol,
– excessive sexual stimulation.
2. When the Mind is chronically disturbed it breaks down the controlling function of the brain. The equilibrium in brain, Mind and Body is disturbed and leads to psychological and physical illness.
The practice: healing insomnia with Yoga
Step 1 of the solution
Check what is disturbing your Mind and cut it off.
Step 2 : Controlling the Emotions
To control the brain, it needs to be organised. But to control anything, we must first understand how it is made and how it works
Three parts of the brain and their role.
A. Role of different layers of the brain
1. UPPER (THINKING) – known as the Cortex is the Grey matter, our intellect where thoughts arise.
2. MIDDLE (EMOTION, FEELING) – know as the Limbic system is the seat of Human Emotion. It is responsible for emotions and feelings. The Middle brain or the Limbic system consists of the Hypothalamus and the Amygdala.
The Hypothalamus – Controls 7 functions
– Thirst
– Appetite & Weight Control
– Emotions
– Sleep Cycles
– Sex Drive
– Child Birth
– Blood Pressure & Heart Rate
Amygdala – Integrative Centre for
– Emotions
– Emotional Behaviour
– Motivation
– Emotional learning
3. LOWER (ACTION): The lower part of the brain is responsible for voluntary and involuntary actions through control of various muscles. For example it is responsible for breathing, balance, movement, etc.
In a healthy Mind, the control is Top Down. The Upper brain or Intellect is controlling the Limbic system and physical activity. Intellect is controlling our Emotions and Actions. We are in control of our Emotions. It is called Self Control.
But When Mind is disturbed, emotions overpower us. In most people, the emotional system is controlling the intellect.
To control our Emotions, we have to improve the controlling function of the Cortex.
B. Impact of Emotions on the brain
When the emotions are disturbed through…
- constant low frequency excitement such as high screen time.
- extreme sensory stimulus such as alcohol binging or caffeine
- Intense desire or lust
- Fear, anxiety or trauma
…the brain reacts to counter the disturbance. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland which activates the adrenal gland causing release of stress hormones; adrenaline and cortisol.
This activates the body’s automatic stress response mechanism – the sympathetic nervous system commonly known as fight, flight or freeze mechanism.
The opposite of Sympathetic system is the Parasympathetic System which is the rest and recover mechanism. To calm down our body’s stress response, we need to trigger the Parasympathetic system.
STEP 3: Trigger our body’s healing mechanism with Pranayama Yoga
How to do this.
C. Brain & breathing
Lower brain is home to the two breathing centers. Viz. Medulla Oblongata and the Pons. The first centre, medulla oblongata controls the intercoastal muscles which are used for breathing. It regulates the volume of air that is being inhaled and exhaled by stretching and contracting the ribcage.
The second breathing centre, Pons determines the number of times we breathe.
Normally, On an average we breathe 12 times per minute. But when we are angry, scared or stressed the panic centres get excited and accelerate our breathing. They trigger the body stress response. The body needs more oxygen and as a result our breathing becomes fast and shallow. This is how our emotions are controlling our breathing.
But If Emotions can control the breath, the breath can control our emotions too.
And this is the final Step of our Solution.
Practice of Alternate Nostril breathing known as Anulom Vilom Pranayama is clinically proven to calm down the Mind, to improve the control of Emotions and to activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System – Our body’s rest and recover mechanism. In Yajnyavalka Samhita, this pranayam is also known as Nadi Shodhana Pranayama.
In Pranayama Yoga, we use the capability to control our breathing, which helps heal insomnia. Our breathing is now intentional. We are using the facility of the cortex – the thinking upper brain to control the breathing centres in the lower brain. As a result the impact of the Emotions on both the upper and lower brain is reduced.
Breathing and Thought process are directly proportional to each other. When you control one , the other gets controlled automatically. Excessive thoughts arising from an overexcited cortex and stress response of the body due to imbalanced emotions both are reduced.
But to practise Pranayama, your body must be strong and fit. The respiratory system must be especially prepared before starting the practice. Otherwise it will cause problems.
In the beginning, as you start the practice of Pranayama, you will experience temporary results. 20 mins after the practice of Anulom Vilom Pranayam, your parasympathetic system will be activated and you will experience mental calmness which will last for half and hour or so. After that the stress mechanism will restart.
Traditional Indian Yoga Texts say, that if you practise Pranayama for 2 to 4 times per day for 8 weeks, you will experience a state of calm and peaceful Mind which will last for 24 hrs of the day. Here lies the key to getting rid of Sleeping problems like Insomnia permanently.
In addition to Anulom Vilom Pranayam, practice of Brahmri Pranayama for 20 mins before sleeping will lead to establishment of neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin which helps to sleep well and wake up fresh the next day.
Bonus Tip for Healing Insomnia
Practice Gratitude Meditation: be thankful for the good things in your life. When you practice being grateful, the cycle of continuous thinking is broken down. According to Pranayama Yoga, every thought which offers gratitude does not lead to further thought. It helps you to calm down and surrender. It stops the processing and projection function of the brain leading to peace, acceptance and contentment, thus healing insomnia.