Yoga & EarSeeds for a Good Nights Sleep
Sleep disturbance is well known to be concomitant with psychological distresses, poor work performance, and increased irritability, and unfortunately, per The National Institutes of Health difficulty falling asleep and sleep disturbance plagues roughly 30 percent of the general population.
If you’re one of the many that suffer with waking up feeling exhausted, know that there are natural holistic options to help you fall asleep faster and help you find more peaceful sleep!
The Nervous System
Our nervous system is divided into two systems, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mediates the body’s response to physical activity. Basically, it gears the body up for physical exertion increasing heart rate, creating muscle tension, and raising blood pressure. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) works in opposition, Decreasing heart rate, blood pressure, and preparing the body for sleep..
Stimulation of either system occurs without our conscious thought based on our activities or through our mental processes.
When you are stressed out (that sympathetic nervous system is fired up!), it can make it difficult to relax and go to sleep. If you suffer from prolonged activity of the SNS, This can contribute to more physiological and emotional stress (making the sympathetic nervous system even more active!) which compounds the issue even further. Without enough regular sleep, the body becomes inefficient at regulating bodily processes. This can limit the body’s capacity and resources to distribute the energy to do its essential tasks.
As a result, learning how to relax and let the parasympathetic nervous system do its job is pivotal to improving one’s sleep habits and maintaining overall health.
Luckily, EarSeeds offer a natural solution to tossing and turning, our Sleep and Insomnia kits showcase the points commonly used to address sleep and Insomnia including the points for Falling Asleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Calming.
Research has described the effectiveness of auricular acupressure in reducing sleep disturbance and improving mood in Nursing students who were enrolled in school and working full time schedules. Over the course of the 4 week study, students saw improvements in sleep quality, anxiety, and depressed mood.
Utilizing specific points for sleep & relaxation, the seeds use the nervous system as a channel to communicate with your brain letting it know its safe to relax and encouraging your PNS to help soothe your body.
In tandem to EarSeeds, adding in a breath work style yoga flow to your routine can unwind both the body and the mind for restful sleep.
The breath work component in yoga is a great to settle down from a crazy day, because the Pranayama (deep breathing) techniques practiced in yoga create an even pattern of regularity in the nervous system by toning down arousal in the sympathetic nervous system.
Inhalation emphasizes sympathetic activity and exhalation stimulates the parasympathetic activity. By focusing on long intentional exhales in our breath work, we can encourage our systems to slow down and find a little bit of relaxation.
