Do you have trouble sleeping and are looking for solutions? Keep reading to discover the benefits of hot yoga for better sleep.
As a popular provider of hot yoga in Dayton, Ohio, Ignite Yoga provides classes, events, and videos so you can confidently practice yoga at any time and place. When you regularly participate in yoga, you’ll actualize your potential both while you’re asleep and awake.
Hot Yoga Decreases Stress
Those who practice yoga know how well it relieves stress. Various studies have quantified yoga’s ability to reduce stress, and one study published in The Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness showed that people who practiced Bikram yoga at least three times per week reported improvements in perceived stress and mindfulness after eight weeks.
Stress is one of the most common causes of sleep troubles, so decreasing it can help you fall asleep sooner, reduce traumatic dreams that wake you up, and make your sleep more restorative.
Hot Yoga Can Promote Natural Sleep Habits
A major benefit of hot yoga for better sleep is that it promotes the natural habits that many people lack in their normal routine. One 2012 study published in ISRN Neurology showed that practicing Bikram yoga for a median of four days in a two-week period increased participants’ ability to fall back asleep naturally after night-time awakenings on days when they practiced Bikram yoga.
Bikram yoga is a type of hot yoga that you practice in a 105-degree room at 40% humidity. This type of hot yoga grants many of the same benefits of more intense aerobic exercise while being easier on the joints and skeletal system.
Hot Yoga Improves Mental Health
One of the major ways hot yoga improves sleep quality is through improved mental health. Since it increases your ability to concentrate and aids in mindfulness, hot yoga can help manage both anxiety and depression.
It can also help those who endure persistent pain. While chronic pain isn’t directly a mental health issue, it often causes mental health challenges. A 2019 study showed that hot yoga both reduced chronic pain and participants’ ability to handle it after taking 90-minute Bikram yoga classes three times a week for eight weeks.
When To Practice Hot Yoga To Improve Your Sleep
Hot yoga can be an intense workout. The active poses and heat dilate blood vessels, which gets your heart pumping and facilitates blood flow. You will also sweat, which further improves circulation, according to a 2021 Japanese study.
Avoid practicing hot yoga right before bedtime when the active, intense poses can negatively impact your sleep. Instead, do your hot yoga at least a few hours before going to bed to give your body time to wind down before falling asleep.
Let Ignite Yoga Help You Reclaim Quality Sleep
If you want to experience the benefits of hot yoga for better sleep, Ignite Yoga can help. Through our classes, events, and videos, we can help you practice various forms of yoga, release trapped emotions, and strengthen your mind and body. Contact us to see special offers and unique events.
