(if anyone knows how to sleep, it's cats)
If you feel tired in the morning when you wake up, it is usually due to one of two things; you have not slept long enough or the quality of your sleep has not been good enough.
Sleep plays a big role in our well-being, and as adults we need between 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep or poor sleep can have health consequences which can lead to the development of diseases, reduced immunity, increased stress, obesity etc. When we sleep, the body recovers and regulates itself.
If you find it difficult to fall asleep, here is a small breathing exercise that can help; both falling asleep and calming the nervous system sufficiently so that you also sleep better.
Go to bed and:
Start by lying on your back, fully extended, hands relaxed by your sides, palms facing up.
Close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing through your nose.
Now try to create an equal length on the inhalation and exhalation, possibly try to count to 2, 3 or 4 on the inhalation and to 2, 3 or 4 on the exhalation. Breathing must be steady, calm and with a minimum of pause between inhalation and exhalation. If the stretch seems strained in any way at 4, only count to 3, etc. When you feel that they are of the same length, start counting.
8 breaths lying on the back.
16 breaths lying on the right side
32 breaths lying on the left side
ZZzzzzz Sleep well.
Read more: 5 yoga poses for better sleep
Sign up for my newsletter and get inspiration and guidance from me once a week.