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| Hi, I have just started bikram yoga and been to four classes. I have noticed that eversince i started the class, I ama having difficulty sleeping. Moreover, Is excessive sweating not harmful for the body?
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| I have been doing Bikram for over a year now and feel that I sleep better. Could be that your sleeplessness is NOT related to your yoga practice or that maybe you are more energetic after your yoga practice. |
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| I agree with the above post- especially if you are practicing at night. Myself and several of my friends have trouble sleeping after a night class. Your body naturally gains evergy from the practice- so if you don't finish class until late- it is very likely that you won't be able to fall asleep as easily.) If this is the case- are morning classes a possibility for you?
I personally find that I am more rested when I do my yoga- just more balanced. I would also look at other aspects of your lifestyle to see what else might be causing the problem.
If anything- maybe your practice can help you work through these things?
Good luck!
Sarah |
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| I notice this was posted a while back so I don't know if you will be around to get this response but here goes anyway.
Regarding the difficulty sleeping, I have been doing Bikram for about 3 months now, usually 3 times a week. On the nights when I have done an evening class, I have noticed that I seem to awaken a few times during the night. I think this does have something to do with getting energized late in the day. I really don't notice myself feeling tired the next day though which is what really matters. In his book, Bikram discusses that you should feel like you need less sleep after doing his method on a regular basis.
Sweating is just the body's way of cooling off when in a heated situation. Excessive sweating can result in a loss of electrolytes and dehydration which needs to be resolved either by a combination of drinking lots of water and eating salty snacks OR by drinking an electrolyte replacement drink. I prefer Gookinaid (electrolyte replacement) over Gatorade because it is less sweet. It also helps prevent cramping and nausea. It is important to drink water or ER during and after the class and to be well-hydrated before. Bikram's book and the instructors emphasize that you drink plenty of water but I haven't heard much said about the electrolyte replacement which really surprises me. It's a well known fact and there is a great deal of information about it available on the internet. Of course, everyone is different and sweats a different amount. Some people may not need the ER but I sure do. I sweat buckets in Bikram classes! |
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| For 20 years before Bikram, I participated in a military style of tae kwon do, where the instructors kept the room 85-95 degrees, and we were jumping and kicking at a rapid pace. At a minimum, we sweat as much as I sweat in the 100 degree room of a Bikram yoga studio. Our cotton uniforms would be dripping with swweat, and we would leave sweat footprints in the carpet on the floor. The excessive sweating had no ill effects. My tae kwon do instructors believed it was good to sweat that much. (Indeed, now that my back has turned bad on me, the intense heat of Bikram was like coming back to an old friend. I'd missed the intense perspiration!)
The important thing is to hydrate adequately. I am surprised that I used to do a 90 minute taekwon do session on water alone, but for Bikram I need to use an electrolyte replacement drink. This surprised me, but I am almost 45. The engine inside may have lost some efficiency.
I also can have trouble sleeping after intense excerise. I developed a routine to help me shut down. I fill the bird feeders outside as soon as I get home, take a warm (but not hot) shower, eat bland food (usually a baked potato), and wash all the dishes in the kitchen (for some reason that gives me peace of mind). Then I sit quietly, usually watching TV or reading. But I try to keep the evening low key. I still wake up a few times on occasion, but the routine has helped sleep come more easily.
Jeri |
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| I rarely take evening classes for exactly this reason. One of the benefits I've found through my Bikram practice is that I sleep much less than I used to. It took some time to adjust mentally - I was so used to sleeping a lot that when I found myself awake in the wee hours I was sure that something was wrong. Eventually I realized that my energy level was also increased and that the sleeplessness wasn't insomnia, it was more like a gift of longer days. On average, I still probably sleep 6-7 hours per night but I am amazed at how I can thrive for days on only 4-5 hours sleep per night.
As for the sweating, it's a controversial topic. I gotta run right now but I'll see if I can dig up a url to site that might be relevant and post it later. I love the way I feel after a good sweaty class and I've learned to trust what my body tells me. |
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| Everyone is different. Some people get totally wired doing yoga. I think I read that Bikram survives on like 2 hours of sleep a night or something, but me...I pass out about an hour after class, that's why I prefer night time rather then in the morning. If it's a problem for you, try doing it in the morning if you have time and see if that works out. And sweating a lot is not bad for your body as long as you replenish it and make sure you're getting enough salt, preferably sea salt in your body if you do yoga a lot. You need those electrolytes! Ask your instructor, he/she should know about them. |
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Diificulty sleeping
