I did Yoga Nidra Each Day for 30 Days

Here is what happened

Until recently, I was one of the million people suffering from chronic sleep problems. Not any more. My sleep pattern changed in the most surprising way when I've started my one-month Yoga Nidra experiment.

Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep is an ancient Indian technique that combines relaxation with meditation. The aim of this practice is to help you reach a state of deep relaxation and awareness.

I wrote more about it in this article:

Before the one-month experiment, I was doing Yoga Nidra sporadically, mostly during the daytime, as a refreshing meditation.

It was very helpful, especially after a sleepless night. But recently, my sleep problem got worse. I was so anxious that I had nights where I could not sleep more than one or two hours, and my sleep was agitated and superficial.

I was feeling as tired in the morning as I was when I got to sleep…I had no energy…

I went to the pharmacy and ask for some natural pills for sleep, but they did not work. One day, after another sleepless night, I went to bed for a short power nap. At the last moment, I decided to do a Yoga Nidra for sleep meditation.

I told myself that it will be OK if I am not able to sleep. I need just to focus on relaxing as deep as I can. If I fall asleep, that will be a bonus. If not, the more relaxed I will be, the better.

With this resolution in mind, I let my body find a comfortable position, and I guided my mind to focus on the relaxation process. Whenever I witnessed my mind wandering, I was simply breathing and coming back to my body.

It worked. Despite not falling asleep, my body was so relaxed that at the end of the exercise I felt energized and rested.

That made me decide to do the exercise every night for one month to see if I can cure my insomnia.

For the first two weeks, I could notice little improvement. I was still spending hours not being able to sleep, I was waking up at least three or four times per night… But I've persisted anyway.

In the third week, I could feel a promising difference: I was able to sleep more hours without waking up. I felt better in the morning. My mood improved. I had more energy.

Naturally, I continued. I was OK with waking up at night because I thought is a natural pattern: the stats are telling us that older people wake up an average of 3 or 4 times each night.

So, imagine my surprise when in the fourth week I had my first uninterrupted night of sleep. Seven hours of deep, deep sleep.

But this, this child-like restful sleep was just the beginning. The best part was the good feeling I had when I woke up.

I felt less anxious, more hopeful, and looking forward to facing the day ahead.

I still have nights when I woke up one or two times, but it is way easier to go back to sleep. I have less anxiety and I feel better during the day.

I plan to continue doing Yoga Nidra each day before bed. Why stop when it is working so well?

I am not saying that Yoga Nidra is a miracle cure. What works for me might not work for others. What I am saying is that it might the best adjuvant.

Lack of sleep is associated with a lot of problems, chronic diseases, mental illnesses, lack of energy, poor quality of life, increased health care costs, and poor work productivity. If you suffer from chronic sleep problems, I urge you to ask a physician for advice and give Yoga Nidra a try.

You might have amazing results.