Stress and Sleep: How Stress Impacts our Sleep

Our breath influences our sleep and stress levels in many different ways. Our breath is used to regulate the state of our nervous system, and the state of our nervous system influences the quality of our sleep. The quality of our sleep is one of the biggest factors in our overall health. When we sleep we go into recovery mode and the quality of our sleep dictactes how well we recover.

When we are stuck in a sympathetic state after experiencing something stressful, we have trouble falling and staying asleep. Breathwork can allow us to switch from a sympathetic state into a parasympathetic state, the state that allow us to be calm and rest. This also influences the way we breath. Slower deeper nose breathing activates the parasympatic nervous system which is associated with better sleep.

Ask yourself these questions: How well do I sleep, generally? How stressed am I? Do I breath through my nose or mouth when I sleep? Do I snore? Do I way up in the middle of the night?

All of these questions are important in building awareness of the relationship between the breath, stress, and sleep.

So go ahead and try this breathing technique:

Alternate-Nostril Breathing for stress and sleep

Alternate-nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) involves blocking off one nostril at a time as you breathe through the other, alternating between nostrils in a regular pattern.2 It's best to practice this type of anxiety-relieving breathing in a seated position in order to maintain your posture.

• 1. Position your right hand by bending your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky extended. This is known as Vishnu mudra in yoga.

• 2. Close your eyes or softly gaze downward.

• 3. Inhale and exhale to begin.

• 4. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.

• 5. Inhale through your left nostril.

• 6. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger.

• 7. Open and exhale through your right nostril.

• 8. Inhale through your right nostril.

• 9. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.

• 10. Open and exhale through your left nostril.

• 11. Inhale through your left nostril.

Work up to 10 minutes of this breathing pattern. If you begin to feel lightheaded, take a break by releasing both nostrils and breathing slow and deep.

Breathwork for sleep