Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
According to new research from The Mental Health Foundation, in the past month alone, poor sleep has led to 48 per cent of UK adults feeling more angry or irritable, more stressed and overwhelmed, or more anxious. As someone who struggled with insomnia and poor quality sleep for years, the fact that almost half of the UK’s adult population sleeps poorly didn’t surprise me, but it did worry me.
In a culture that rarely switches off and leaves many of us lacking quality rest, we’re often looking for tools and tricks to help us recharge properly. A decent sleep yields better mental health, better focus and improved productivity and with The Mental Health Foundation’s same research showing that most of us only sleep well three nights a week, no wonder we’re all seeking solutions for better sleep.
Of course, social media and the wellness industry have encouraged us to obsess over hacks and tricks – creating “sleepmaxxing” protocols and exhaustive lists of sleep accessories. I am somewhat guilty of buying into the hype around sleep supplements and wearables, but honestly, the thing that helped me most when I was struggling to sleep wasn’t a daylight lamp or a silk sleep mask – it was the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra, or “yogic sleep” is a form of guided meditation that draws the mind into the twilight state between waking and sleeping. As sleep meditation has boomed and apps like Headspace have launched celebrity bedtime stories and sleepcasts, the “sleep yoga” category has become an overnight sensation – pun intended.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra describes a kind of transcendental sleep or half-conscious meditation, a state between wakefulness and rest. The practice is akin to experiencing the peaceful rest and relaxation of sleep and dreaming, whilst awake. It’s rooted in ancient Hindu and Buddhist traditions and has been shaped by 1970s counter-culture experiments that reframed rest as a form of rebellion.
Kathryn McHarg, a yoga expert and Yoga Nidra teacher at BU Yoga, calls it “both a process and a state”.
She says: “Translated from Sanskrit Yoga Nidra means ‘yogic sleep’ but it’s not really about sleeping – although you may fall asleep which is completely fine. It is more about exploring the different states of consciousness, which occupy the alpha-theta border – that place between sleeping and waking.”
Performing Yoga Nidra involves practising pratyahara, or “withdrawal of the senses”, the fifth limb of Ashtanga yoga. The idea is that by going within and not moving – simply being – the individual can supposedly expand self-awareness. The bonus effect is that you feel incredibly relaxed and sleep comes much more easily.
In 1973, writer and yogi Dennis Boyes published Le Yoga du sommeil éveillé; méthode de relaxation, yoga nidra or The Yoga of Waking Sleep. This was the first known usage of the term as we know it. Later came yoga therapists and gurus perfecting the art, putting their own spin on it and creating the foundations of the practice that most of us recognise today.
Like any form of yoga, Yoga Nidra is taught by all kinds of teachers. Some blend the practice with instructions for more far-out concepts like lucid dreaming or astral projection (both of which I have tried and enjoyed) whereas others focus on using the deep breathing and full-body check-in to access the practical aspects of relaxation – I find the latter more useful day-to-day.
Read more: What is hatha yoga? Experts explain the beginner-friendly yoga style
Unlike other forms of yoga – and perhaps this is the secret to its success in the UK – Yoga Nidra doesn’t require any movement. Instead, it’s a combination of focus and breathing, essentially a mental process of checking in and meditating while lying still.
Libby Stevenson, Head of Yoga for Harley Street at Home, describes it as a deeply accessible practice. “It takes about 15-20 minutes and it involves lying down comfortably on a bed, yoga mat or carpet,” she says. “Then you’ll listen to a guided relaxation which involves breath and body awareness but with this practice, there is no physical movement.”
“There are different ways to lie down depending on the physical limitations of the participants but generally, participants lie flat on their back, or for anyone with lower back issues, with cushions under their knees,” she adds.
“Ideally, the participant is in a room where they will not be disturbed. They might want to have a blanket cover them because as the body relaxes, it also cools down. Then a guided instruction on how to relax the body begins. It starts with gentle isometric stretching and leads to stillness and it’s impossible to do it wrong.”
What happens during Yoga Nidra?
“There are various steps in a Yoga Nidra practice,” McHarg explains. “Such as the ‘arrival’ phase. Then there could be opposites, images, free flow and then a ‘return’. Different teachers will add in or take out stages of this process depending on their training. I tend to gauge this based on my yogis and depending on what the intention of the practice is.”
At the start of a Yoga Nidra practice, the brain is typically in an active beta wave frequency – an alert, problem-solving mode. This is typically the mode we try to move out of when using yoga and meditation as tools.
As relaxation deepens, brain activity slows into alpha waves, bridging conscious thought with the subconscious. In this state, serotonin is released, bringing calm and stillness. With time, delta waves emerge, mirroring the deep restorative stages of sleep. The difference is that in Yoga Nidra, we remain awake, aware and conscious throughout.
This sequence produces measurable physiological effects. One study linked the practice of Yoga Nidra to increased endogenous dopamine release in the ventral striatum, a region associated with motivation and pleasure. Another found improvements in heart-rate variability – a key indicator of a healthy autonomic nervous system. A third observed better sleep efficiency, shorter sleep-onset latency and reduced time in bed after just four weeks of Yoga Nidra compared to progressive muscle relaxation.
On a biochemical level, the practice helps to regulate the stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. During slow, controlled breathing, the vagus nerve is stimulated which lowers heart rate and blood pressure, enhancing digestion and signalling to the body that it’s safe to rest.
Studies suggest that regular yogic breathing can reduce tension and anxiety, while autonomic symptoms such as headache, chest pain, palpitations and abdominal discomfort respond well too. For me, a racing anxious mind prevented me from sleeping well for many years. I tried plenty of different sleep aids but the thing that made the most difference and allowed me to drop into a relaxed state with a clear mind and then drift off to sleep was my nightly Yoga Nidra practice.
A busy mind is the most common barrier to sleep. Research shows that when we try to block intrusive thoughts, they rebound more strongly. “We need to learn to notice and let go of thoughts, rather than trying to control them,” says Guy Meadows, a sleep physiologist and founder of Sleep School.
“The first step is to anchor the attention in the present moment by noticing the movement of the breath. Then when the mind wanders, which it will, you acknowledge this fact before returning your attention back onto the breath. Brain imaging research shows that repeatedly noticing the breath and letting go of thoughts, strengthens a part of the brain responsible for calming down mental chatter.”
The benefits of Yoga Nidra
The primary benefit of Yoga Nidra is deep relaxation. As the body relaxes, tension releases while the mind stays gently focused on the guidance. The combination is profoundly soothing to the nervous system.
“We relax the body by focusing the mind on a part of it: the feet, the lower leg, the upper leg, the hips, and so on all the way up to the face and head. We send each part of the body a mental message to relax. It’s that simple. But so effective,” says Stevenson.
This mindful body scan also invites emotional clarity. Practitioners often experience gratitude, and research shows that consciously reflecting on what we’re grateful for creates a more positive mindset, which in turn helps regulate the nervous system.
“Taking gratitude can be as easy as spending a few minutes at the end of the day in bed to think about the events, people or places that you’re grateful for in your life that day,” says Meadows. “Whatever comes to mind, see if you can clearly identify why it is that you are grateful for it and pause to notice how the feeling of appreciation feels.”
There’s no right or wrong way to practise, and anyone can do it. I found that when I started a few years ago, my mind would wander. I also wasn’t very good at bringing any gratitude into my practice. These days, I do my 10-20 minute practice, breathe deeply, access those feelings of gratitude almost instantaneously and fall asleep straight afterwards. It just takes consistency.
“Absolutely anyone and everyone can do Yoga Nidra,” says Stevenson. “From children to the elderly, disabled and able-bodied people, those who are bed-bound, pregnant people and especially anyone experiencing feelings of overwhelm, hot flashes, night sweats and panic attacks. The breathing technique is what makes it so effective for those experiencing anxiety.”
The approach has been used to help soldiers cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, acting as a bridge between body-based therapies and cognitive resilience. However, McHarg advises that it’s best to consult with a teacher before practicing if you are experiencing severe anxiety.
“Some of the benefits of Yoga Nidra are greater awareness or interoception of the physical body and greater focus. The only real contraindications here are psychosis and schizophrenia. If you are experiencing these conditions Yoga Nidra would be unhelpful. And if you are living with trauma or PTSD it’s important to discuss it with your teacher. Whilst general stress, and worry are everyday issues, severe anxiety can require specialist support,” she says.
Read more: The ultimate guide to Costa Rica, according to a wellness editor
Why practice sleep yoga?
The surge in Yoga Nidra’s popularity speaks to both science and need. Experts suggest the UK is nearing a wellbeing crisis point and that our chronic stress levels are becoming dangerous. A nervous system locked in fight-or-flight mode contributes to burnout, insomnia and inflammation but practices like Yoga Nidra directly counteract this by training the brain and body to downshift.
“Sleep is a trainable skill that you can learn to be better at, especially during times of stress,” says Meadows. “But no method works in isolation, you also need to practice good sleep hygiene.”
Ironically, perfect sleep and a zen disposition during waking hours doesn’t happen overnight. It took me several months of consistent bedtimes and waking times, healthy habits and nightly Yoga Nidra practice to get into a groove. Now, after several years, I can use Yoga Nidra whenever I feel stressed, if I’m travelling between time zones or if I want to nap during day.
The best place to start is in a class or with a qualified teacher guiding you via a recording. But you don’t have to pay for an expensive app. There are plenty of brilliant teachers to be found on Instagram and free Yoga Nidra sessions on Spotify and YouTube.
The results can be tangible: lower blood pressure, steadier mood, sharper focus and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to let go and switch off. Between waking and rest lies a space most of us rarely reach – Yoga Nidra invites us back there and the science shows it’s a place well worth visiting for improved health and healing.
Enjoying this? Subscribe to Emilie Lavinia’s weekly Well Enough newsletter for more wellness insights