|
|
| I've had this ongoing problem for 6 or 7 years now. I do a regular yoga workout on my own using techniques I learned from a well known instructor here in Santa Cruz. It's a once-a-week routine which takes about an hour and a half on Friday nights around 7:00. I go to sleep about 10:00--10:30 and invariably I wake up, without fail, around 4:00 A.M. It's really gotten to be a problem and I'm hoping someone out there has a solution or a reason for this insomnia, as it puts a real dent in my weekend. I'm not wide-awake, just kind of blurry-eyed dull. Any ideas? |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| a) what is the routine like? Can you name the poses? That would help. b) do you have any extra caffeine on Fridays? Even one extra coffee or having it a bit later than usual can make a difference like that. But mainly a) |
|
| |
|
| I know this one...once a week on a Friday evening and then you wake up at 4AM Sats only is that right? And you're OK the rest of the week? Quit the 7-8:30 PM class. Once a week that late in the day disrupts the normalacy of your sleep sequence. I know if you did a gentle yoga instead of the usual, you'd see a difference. I spent many years working and studying 24 hour defense watch cycles and attempting to build shifts around them to best benefit those people working those rotating shifts.
So if you ignore me and keep it up, I'd recommend a couple of Tylenol PM after practice before going to sleep. Good luck. |
|
| |
|
| Hi SC,
Welcome to the forum.
As Tourist mentions, it will be easier to understand your situation if we know what poses you are practising.
All poses have an energetic as well as a physcial effect. As a general rule, it is advisable to avoid back bends in the evening because of their stimulating effect on the mind. If your practise does incorporate them, you may counter this effect with asanas such as shoulder stand (salamba sarvangasana) and plough (halasana).
Jonathon |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for the feedback--my routine is a basic mix of floor postures moving into standing postures i.e. forward bend, warrior pose, with a focus on moving to shoulder stand at the end, and then savasana. I don't drink coffee, and I really do not want to resort to the Tylenol PM. Bruce may have the best solution, my question is why? What causes the interrupted sleep? I work as a school teacher and the Friday evening yoga is a time for me to unwind after a week with teenagers. If I must, I suppose I could change to Saturday afternoon. Any other suggestions out there?
Thanks SC |
|
| |
|
| Bruce may be correct though I have not had similar experience. I know there is scientific studies on circadian rhythms and their effect on health (when violated) but you're not violating circadian rhythms in such a way that is outstanding (like working a graveyard shift). So I'd like to flesh this out with you a bit more.
Diet please? Your age and gender please?
The sequence of your practice please?
Are you showering after you practice? Do you go right to bed without other activities?
Is it accurate that you have been doing this same yoga sequence once a week for seven years?
In what poses generally speaking do you have your eyes open/closed please?
Edited by purnayoga 2007-02-09 2:38 AM
|
|
| |
|
| Thanks Purna, I am 54, vegan, male, I generally shower before I practice to help loosen up, but other times I don't--no real difference with the sleep problem. After I finish my practice I have dinner, and remain up for probably another hour and then sleep, which by the way is a deep sleep, falling off right away...until 4:00 a.m. I've done the same sequence for 10 to 12 years and it seems that the sleep problem began about 6-7 years ago. Some Friday nights are better than others but generally I wake up around 4:00 a.m. As far as my yoga sequence, I don't have my Iyengar book with me, and I don't know what they are called. Like I said earlier, I follow a fairly simple routine building up to shoulder stand. The only time I close my eyes is during savasana. When I get home from work I could list the postures for you.
Thanks, SC |
|
| |
|
| OK, this is my general session. I start with a leg opener with sandbags, move to some inner thigh stretches, then paschimottasana six (forgive me, as I haven't taken a class for years, and don't know the common terms), then the sitting lateral twists. From there I move into the sipta virasana two, then downward dog, next prasarita padottottana assana I four, then a forward bend, next parivrtta trikonasana five, followed by warrior pose, and finishing with vrksasana one. I next go into Shoulder stand, after which I lie down for a leg stretch with the belt looped around my foot, then twists, ending with savasana.
I'm 5'9" 140lbs, and my diet consists mainly of grains (millet, rice, buckwheat) with salad or steamed vegetables. A perfect night's sleep for me would be 8 hours.
Thanks, SC |
|
| |
|
| Actually, that's quite an energetic practise.
Jonathon |
|
| |
|
| so if I understand (and may omit the added numerical references):
Baddha Konasana (leg opener?)
Inner thigh stretches (?)
Paschimotanasana
Seated twists (perhaps bharadvajasana or marichyasana)
Supta Virasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Prasarita Padotanasana
Uttanasana
Parivrtta trikonasana
Virabhadrasana (which?)
Vrksasana
Sarvangasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Supine twists (which?)
Savasana
It's an interesting sequence. Has it served you such that you'd hang on to it for the duration you have? I think it's quite amazing to have so much discipline to do that sticking to it.
I'm guessing you are in Savasana for at least eight minutes.
How do you sleep when you do not do this practice AT ALL on Friday night and eat well before 9pm?
|
|
| |
|
| The inner thigh stretches may be misquoted, the picture in the handbook calls it Maha Mudra Five, the twists are Marichysana III Ten. Virabhadrasana II One is the warrior pose I mentioned. The supine twist is simply a final, gentle, twist done on the floor--right and left side.
The reason I've held on to this same sequence for as long as I have is because it was introduced to me by one of the prominent intructors here in Santa Cruz--it's purpose was to tone, and build strength for head stand. I don't feel comfortable with that final pose on my own, instead choosing the shoulder stand. Also it's important to me because it allows me to keep my body in tune for surfing...something I've done for 40 years.
My Savasana is usually 6 minutes, so you're close with your estimation.
The times I've slept on a Friday night WITHOUT the practice, is an uninterrupted sleep, all night.
Thanks, SC |
|
| |
|
| How about a gentler practice and 3 minutes of prone bolstered Pranayama (ujjayi or viloma I only please) instead? Followed by at least ten minutes of Savasana. What is your dosha please? Rubbing some oil into the body will help soothe your nervous system. The oil should agree with your constitution. |
|
| |
|
| Purna, yes, a Pranayama may be the thing I've overlooked in my practice, and with some of the other modifications you mentioned I may be able to see some results. This gives me hope!Thanks so much for your feedback. S.C. |
|
| |
|
| sc surfer - 2007-02-08 6:49 PM
I've had this ongoing problem for 6 or 7 years now. I do a regular yoga workout on my own using techniques I learned from a well known instructor here in Santa Cruz. It's a once-a-week routine which takes about an hour and a half on Friday nights around 7:00. I go to sleep about 10:00--10:30 and invariably I wake up, without fail, around 4:00 A.M. It's really gotten to be a problem and I'm hoping someone out there has a solution or a reason for this insomnia, as it puts a real dent in my weekend. I'm not wide-awake, just kind of blurry-eyed dull. Any ideas?
My recommendation is as follows:
1. As brother Bruce says: discontinue practice at that time. Or, at least change the practice.
2. Do not try to analyse that problem further, unless you are a very advanced practitioner. I do not know whether that is true from your info above.
3. And, if you get up at 4 a.m. on Sat, enjoy it. Read a beautiful book and compliment yourself. That is not a big problem if you sleep at 10 or 11 and get up at 4. That is wonderful.
4. My final suggestion: Quit 7 p.m. yoga exercise on Fri, and do that same exercise on waking up on Sat. |
|
| |
Sleep Interrupted after Yoga
