“If we wish to avoid the suffocating noose of sleep neglect, the premature death it inflicts, and the sickening health it invites, a radical shift in our personal, cultural, professional and societal appreciation of sleep must occur.”

from “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker

In my six months of dealing with people who are looking at using Breathwork to improve their health, the number one ailment for most, is to improve their sleep. I too, have sleep issues, but I no longer wake with the need to prop myself up with coffee or hit the snooze button six times.
Sleep disorders have become more a common place, especially after the advent of smart phones, but the difficulty of finding rest have short-term health implications affecting our productivity, quality of life, relationships and in turn leading to long term health disease and premature death.

Breathing practices have a profound impact on the brain, particularly in areas associated with decision-making, emotional intelligence, and behavioural change. If one can use breathing techniques to enhance our behaviour during the waking phase, then surely techniques can be used to prep the body for sleep.

The common challenges that I identify with poor sleep can be linked to intense emotional responses, quieting the activity of the brain and calming the sympathetic nervous system. Of course one needs to assess diet, exercise, routines and the surrounding of where you physically sleep. The beauty of the breath, is that we can use it to tap into areas that are otherwise too complex for our conscious mind to understand. This is because, with the breath, we are building a bridge over to the subconscious part of ourselves, which are responses designed to keep us safe. The challenge, is that some of these fight/flight responses have been put in place through repetition.

By giving yourself a routine by checking in with your breath before sleep each night, you are starting the essential process of self awareness and tapping into your sub conscious programming. By no means is this going to improve your sleep patterns overnight. Together with lifestyle changes and healthy routines before sleep, you will be able to notice subtle changes in the quality and depth of sleep that you otherwise found inaccessible before.

So combine these breath techniques with the following:

• Consistent sleep routines connected to going to bed and waking up
• No exercise two hours before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. (Soda and energy drinks!)
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid large meals and beverages
• Medicines that give insomnia effects
• Napping after 3pm
• Relax before bed
• Take a hot bath before bed
• Dark bedroom with a cool temperature
• Don’t lie awake. Get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again