VOL. 18 NO. 1 Spring/Summer 2014

8 Yoga Samachar Spring/Summer 2014

WHICH COMES FIRST: RESTFUL SLEEP OR A NOURISHING YOGA PRACTICE?By Michelle D. Williams

Ihave this goal to get up early to do my yoga practice. I

envision about 20 minutes of pranayama, followed by a

half hour break for tea and kitty pets, then another 30–60

minutes of asana practice. It seems simple on paper,

especially since I work at home for myself and have no kids

to get out the door.

But I continually fail at this goal. And it’s often because I’d

rather sleep a little longer. Sleep has been a lifelong issue for

me—falling asleep in particular. Even as a kid, I’d lie awake at

night, first listening to the low murmurings of Johnny Carson

coming from the living room, and then, after my mom went to

bed, listening to the furnace shutting on and off, or the crickets

singing outside, or the trains coming and going in the distance.

But sleep is just as important to our overall well-being as eating

healthy foods and getting plenty of exercise. According to the

Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, sleep

plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory,

learning, and other vital functions. Sleep gives the body an

opportunity to repair and rejuvenate itself. New research shows

that many of the major restorative functions in the body like

muscle growth, tissue repair, growth hormone release, and

protein synthesis occur mostly, or in some cases only, during

sleep. Other rejuvenating aspects of sleep are specific to the

brain and cognitive function. A recent study revealed a link

between sleep and brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to

change and restructure itself. The benefits list goes on.

So why, then, do so many of us neglect our sleep? Many people

get by on just five or six hours of sleep a night. We live such

busy, amped-up lives that it’s difficult to get to bed early. We

work long hours and then pack our evenings full of

extracurricular activities, meetings, projects, and chores. Or we

sit on the couch watching episode after episode of our favorite

cable TV (or BBC—Downton!) shows late into the night.

Once we do crawl under the covers, our minds are still active,

going over interactions from the day and planning for

tomorrow or next week—or next month even. So we end up

with insomnia or just a very truncated sleep cycle.

Sleep Interferes With LifeMy own difficulties in going to sleep have stemmed from

different issues at different times in my life. I’ve always had a

very active, analytical brain and a nervous system that does not

quiet down easily. Also, I’m a person who definitely doesn’t like

to miss out on things. If friends are going out or having a dinner

party, I want to be there. If there’s an interesting performance

to be seen or a few in one week, I’ll try to fit them all in. I take

dance classes and poetry classes and join book groups and

work on crafty projects in the basement.

Other things can interfere with my ability to fall asleep, like

having a huge dinner or drinking too much alcohol, working

past my bedtime, or messing around with Facebook and email.

Also, I slept in the same bed as my mother until I was seven

years old, which was wonderful in many ways. But I remember

that adjusting to sleeping in my own bed was a challenge, so on

some very deep level, I think going to bed and falling asleep

strikes fear of being alone.

Over the years, as I became more proactive in taking care of my

own well-being, I made positive changes to my diet, began to

exercise more, and developed a yoga practice, but I still found it

difficult to focus on my sleep habits. After all, sleep is a passive

activity. Even though I knew I struggled with insomnia, I still

thought I should be able to get into bed, close my eyes, and

sleep would just happen. Of course, when I was younger, I could

get by on less sleep.

But these days, a poor night’s sleep takes its toll. For me, that

means not getting out of bed quite as early as I’d like to, so I’m

groggy. My yoga practice gets cut short, or I’m late to start work.

It can also mean that I’m fatigued throughout the day, or I don’t

think as clearly and creatively as I’d like to, or I don’t have the

energy to work on the more challenging asanas in my practice.

Does Poor Sleep Disturb My Practice?I decided to consider my difficulties in getting good sleep—or

my resistance to working on my sleep habits—in the context of

the obstacles outlined in Sutra I:30. Patanjali’s obstacles get in

the way of attaining a calm mind, which has a huge impact on

sleep. Mr. Iyengar groups the obstacles into four categories:

PHYSICAL• Vyadhi (illness). When I’m sick, I often don’t sleep well.

Even if my physical being is just a little out of balance, I can

If you don’t jump on the sleep train when it comes to your station, it will take off and leave

you behind.

Spring/Summer 2014 Yoga Samachar 9

be uncomfortable in bed and sleep poorly. Of course, getting

good sleep is one ingredient for overall well-being and can

contribute to lack of disease.

• Styana (sluggishness). Sometimes, I simply have no

motivation to move my body—especially when I’m tired from

not getting enough sleep! It’s a catch 22 because exercising the

body during the day leads to more restful sleep at night, which

in turn makes it easier to practice overall.

MENTAL• Samsaya (indecision or doubt). There may have been a part

of me at one time that doubted whether eight hours of sleep

was really that important, but now I’m certain that I need at

least that much to feel refreshed. Depending on the day, I

may still weigh my options in terms of getting more sleep or

going out with a good friend. And I can be indecisive about

what steps to take on any given night when getting ready

for bed. In a similar vein, when I’m struggling to fall asleep

or when I’m fatigued during the day, I can doubt my own

efforts toward establishing good sleep habits and then

spend a lot of time worrying about this.

• Pramada (carelessness or negligence). When I choose to do

the things that keep me from getting a good night’s sleep—

like staying out late or watching movies past my

bedtime—it’s a careless attitude. I’m flat out neglecting my

overall health and ultimately affecting many other aspects

of my life, which can actually create a domino effect of

imbalance.

• Alasya (idleness). I can have a sort of mental laziness when

it’s time to practice relaxing, sleep-inducing yoga poses in

the late evening. Part of it is that I get overwhelmed by all

the steps I need to take in preparation for keeping myself in

balance. I end up wasting time in some idle way while I

If you have a sleep problem or are sleepy during the day,

first find out whether you have sleep apnea. If you snore

loudly, there’s a good chance that you do (and some

people have apnea without loud snoring). Ask someone

to listen while you sleep or use a smartphone app that

can record snoring. You can’t tell by yourself if you snore;

a lot of champion snorers have no idea that they are

doing it. If you do snore significantly, get checked for

apnea at a sleep clinic (they may provide you with a take-

home, medical-grade monitor). If you have apnea, get it

treated! One effective treatment to consider is an oral

appliance, which is essentially a prop that you wear in

your mouth while you sleep. At present, there are no

yoga sequences known to treat sleep apnea.

If you have insomnia (especially if you fall asleep at first

but wake up and have trouble falling back to sleep), here

are two options. For each option, it may help to sleep with

an elastic bandage wrapped loosely around your head,

covering your eyes.

Option 1: Short Time in BedIf you choose this option, start by shortening your total

time in bed each night to approximately six hours—and do

this night after night on a strict, fixed schedule. Don’t take

any naps or practice any restorative poses during the day

or evening (except three minutes or less of Savasana

after an ordinary asana practice each day). Continue

your usual seated pranayama practice if you have one.

During the six-hour scheduled bedtime period, if you

don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes of getting into bed,

or if you wake up and lie awake for 15 minutes, then get

THE LONG AND SHORT OF A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP By Roger Cole

Continued on next page

Illustration: Curtis Settino

10 Yoga Samachar Spring/Summer 2014

consider what I need to do before bed. If I could spend that

time doing even just one or two sleep-benefitting activities,

I’d be in much better shape.

• Avirati (overindulgence). Giving in to sense gratification

and stimuli like TV or Facebook—or even being greedy for

more experiences or social activities—can certainly keep me

from getting good sleep.

INTELLECTUAL• Bhrantidarsana (confusion or delusion). This is a good

one—I can convince myself that I’m taking care of myself,

when in fact, my yoga practice or bedtime routines are not

quite on the mark. It can be a subtle thing to discern, but

when fatigue, depression, and ongoing restlessness

continue, it’s a good bet that I’m not getting very good sleep.

Maybe I’ve rushed my practice or skipped part of the

bedtime routine or consumed something a little too

stimulating. Or maybe I’m just going through the motions.

Another way this obstacle can manifest is through lack of

confidence, or a false perception of my abilities. I convince

myself that I can’t do a certain asana or that I’m simply

wired in such a way that good, deep sleep is out of reach.

Obviously, this sort of attitude is self-defeatist and will

never get me where I want to go—and it can interfere with

decent sleep!

SPIRITUAL• Alabdhabhumikatva (lack of perseverance, missing the

point). More and more, my life is centered around my

practice—not just asana, though I do some asana every

day—but also around my philosophies and understandings

of what “my path” should be. When I fluctuate from this,

losing track of that path, which invariably will happen, or I

rush through my asana or pranayama practice, then I feel off

balance emotionally as well as physically. And then sleep

becomes more difficult.

• Anavasthitatvani (backsliding or regression). No matter

how much I long for balance and despite my efforts in

fostering well-being, my mind remains restless and chatty, and

at bedtime, that is especially unhelpful. When I’ve been

thrown off balance because of my lack of perseverance, then I

can become restless and want to just do something to make

myself feel good in the moment—eat something indulgent or

stay up too late and then dive into bed without even trying to

calm my mind and nervous system. This regression, sort of

giving up on the routine in the moment, affects not only my

desire for good sleep, but my entire yoga practice.

And so it goes that poor sleep means I don’t practice as well.

When I don’t commit as much time and effort to my yoga

practice, my mind and body are more restless. And when my

mind and body are restless, I don’t sleep as well.

out of bed and practice seated meditation or pranayama

(emphasizing exhalation) in the dark, wrapped in warm

blankets, until you feel sleepy, then get back into bed to

attempt sleep again.

After a few nights of sticking strictly to this schedule, you

should be sleepy enough to sleep through most of the

night with few interruptions and get at least five hours of

sleep. When this happens, keep avoiding daytime and

evening naps, and set your time in bed to six hours and 15

minutes. Repeat the same procedure as above, with a

target of sleeping for at least 85 percent of that time.

When you achieve this goal for two or three nights in a

row, increase your scheduled time in bed by an additional

15 minutes.

Over a few weeks, gradually increase your time in bed 15

minutes at a time, but only do it if you have succeeded in

sleeping for 85 percent of your previously scheduled time

for at least two or three nights in a row. When you reach a

point where you can no longer increase your sleep to the

85 percent mark, reduce your scheduled time in bed to the

previous, successful level. Keep that as your new sleep

schedule indefinitely, seven days a week. And after

reaching this stable sleep time, you can start practicing

restorative poses again.

WARNING: During the weeks it takes to optimize sleep

time, expect to be sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation

increases the risk of making errors and having lapses

of attention. This can be dangerous while driving or

operating machinery, and can cause a number of

other problems.

Option 2: Long Time in Bed If you choose this option, turn the lights in your home

down low or off at sunset and go to bed each night at least

ten hours before you have to get up in the morning. Before

going to bed, do whatever nondrug method it takes to help

you get to sleep—meditation, pranayama, restorative

asanas, a warm bath, etc.—or simply get into bed, turn off

the lights, and try to go to sleep. Don’t worry about how

long it takes you to fall asleep or whether you wake up in

the night—you have plenty of time to rest or sleep before

you get up in the morning.

You’re likely to wake up in the night, and if you do, then do

whatever peaceful activity you like, as long as you do it in

very dim light or in the dark (no bright computer screens,

phones, TVs, etc.). A very good thing to do is to simply

remain lying down and let your mind wander in the dark,

not being concerned about whether you are awake or

asleep. Other things you might do are hold a conversation,

Roger Cole continued

Spring/Summer 2014 Yoga Samachar 11

So How to Break the Cycle?Ironically one remedy, outlined in Sutra I:38, for overcoming

these nine obstacles is contemplation of dreamless or dream-

filled sleep, or the unconscious and subconscious mental

planes, respectively. This contemplation helps transform the

different states of consciousness—sleeping, waking,

meditating—into one, flowing and calm state. So perhaps I’m

on the right track by focusing more on my sleep habits overall.

Over time, my health and well-being—including getting restful

sleep—has become the most important aspect of my life, and

my yoga practice is at the heart of this. At 48, I’m officially in

perimenopause, and my body demands sleep. Overcoming

insomnia now has my full attention, and I have been trying a

few different approaches. Experts say it’s important to establish

a consistent sleep schedule, so I’m making an effort to do that.

I’m making fewer evening plans, especially on week nights. I’m

trying to wrap up the work day before dinner and shut down all

technology. At the first signs of sleepiness, I begin to down shift.

I dim lights and avoid talking about “serious” things. I focus on

quiet activities like reading or knitting.

And to help relax my nervous system, I take hot baths, drink

herbal teas, and take magnesium. The cats are no longer

allowed in the bedroom at night because their comings and

goings can be disturbing. (My 19-year-old cat developed the

charming habit of standing on my pillow several times in the

middle of the night and meowing loudly in my ear.)

I’m also trying to use my yoga practice to help foster more

balanced sleep. At minimum, I do a few forward bends before

bed. Years ago, I took a six-month introductory teacher training

with Julie Lawrence and one of our assignments was to practice

headstand and shoulder stand every night before bed. Just to

observe. That experiment had profound results. Not only did I

fall asleep more quickly than I had been, but I slept more

deeply and woke up feeling refreshed. It’s a great practice.

In fact, in the back of Light on Yoga, Guruji’s sequence for

insomnia is basically that, plus a couple forward bends and

some pranayama:

• Sirsasana and cycle

• Sarvangasana and cycle

• Paschimottanasana

• Uttanasana

• Bhastrika, Nadi Sodhana and

Suryabhedana pranayama without retention

• Sanmukhi mudra

• Savasana

You would think after such terrific results, I would commit to

this practice for the rest of my life—but it’s not that simple.

(See the list of disturbances and obstacles above. I’m working

on it.)

Lately, I’m trying to keep the majority of my evenings open for

quiet, personal time. In addition, the biggest change I’ve made

has probably been to just respond to my first feelings of

sleepiness. If you don’t jump on the sleep train when it comes

to your station, it will take off and leave you behind. And this is

science. Our bodies are programmed to shut down at a certain

time every night. The hypothalamus is responsible for shutting

down the brain’s arousal signals and causing the transition to

sleep. We have the ability to override the hypothalamus,

though, and some of us can easily ignore those signs of

sleepiness. When we do this, the hypothalamus starts up again,

inspiring the brain’s arousal signals, which is how we can get a

second wind. I used to do this all the time and just stay up later

and later, and then ultimately struggle to get to sleep—and

sleep well.

But now, I find that if I respond to my body’s desire to sleep, I

can fall asleep more quickly, sleep more soundly, and wake up

feeling rested. And this means that I end up having time to do

both pranayama and asana in the morning, with a kitty-petting

break in between! And, I end up feeling more focused and

creative throughout the day, which is not too bad, either.

Michelle D. Williams lives in Portland, Oregon, and is the editor of Yoga Samachar. She has been practicing Iyengar Yoga since 1994.

read in very dim light (preferably red light), or do any of

the before-bed activities mentioned above. You can get up

but avoid getting cold, standing for prolonged periods, or

exercising. It’s okay to catch up on non stressful work or

leisure activities in the middle of the night as long as they

meet the criteria above. If you are awake long enough, it is

almost inevitable that you will eventually get sleepy and

fall back to sleep.

After several days on this schedule, if you feel that you are

not getting enough sleep, then set your bedtime earlier or

your wake up time later. Over time, settle on a generous

sleep schedule that feels right to you.

Roger Cole, Ph.D., is an Intermediate Junior III Iyengar Yoga teacher and neuroscientist. Since the 1970s, he has trained students, teachers, and medical professionals worldwide in the anatomy, physiology, and precise practice of yoga, relaxation, and sleep.

Roger Cole continued

I find that if I respond to my body’s desire to sleep, I can fall asleep more quickly, sleep more soundly, and wake up feeling rested.