The American medical community is sometimes criticized for overprescribing medications, so it always pays to be a careful consumer when it comes to your health. And that is certainly true when it comes to sleep, as new research is revealing that medication may not always be the most effective route when it comes to treating sleep deficiencies. Researchers are increasingly finding that natural routes of treating insomnia are just as effective as medication or therapy.
As we age, our bodies produce less melatonin, which is the hormone that signals it's time to sleep. Besides waking up not feeling rested, it does pose actual health risks to get bad sleep as you age, as insomnia is associated with heightened risks of various mental and physical health conditions, including dementia and cardiovascular disease.
To remedy this, many turn to melatonin pills or even stronger prescriptions in the hopes of getting some good shuteye. But drug treatments for insomnia come with side effects, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), while effective, isn't always available. So what then?
The researchers in this meta-analysis (essentially, a study of studies), looked at 1348 participants and 13 different treatment approaches to ease insomnia, seven of which were exercise based: yoga; Tai Chi; walking or jogging; aerobic plus strength exercise; strength training alone; aerobic exercise combined with therapy; and mixed aerobic exercises.
They found that yoga results in a large increase in total sleep time of nearly 2 hours and may improve sleep efficiency by nearly 15%, while walking or jogging also may result in a large reduction in insomnia severity, and Tai Chi may reduce poor sleep quality scores by more than 4 points, increase total sleep time by more than 50 minutes, and reduce time spent awake after first falling asleep by over half an hour.
All told, the research points to the fact that emphasizing breath control and physical relaxation while increasing energy expenditure can be true aids in helping you sleep well, and fall asleep faster.
So if you’re struggling to fall asleep (and stay asleep), you might want to start addressing the issue by rolling out your yoga mat.
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