Senior Yoga Routines for Insomnia
Seniors should be getting adequate sleep throughout the night, but this can be hard, especially when a senior struggles with insomnia. There may not be a way for them to wind down like they used to. As a senior gets older, they often stop moving as much as they used to, which means they burn off less energy. Sometimes, other things contribute to their lack of sleep, leaving a senior frustrated. Even with in-home care providers helping a senior out, they still may not feel relaxed or stress-free enough to get a full night of sleep.
Sleeping medications can be very dangerous for seniors because they may be more sensitive to them than younger adults. They can also be deadly for older adults who take too many. It can be better for seniors to try more natural ways to cure insomnia. In-home care providers can help a senior implement lifestyle changes to stay healthy. A senior may want to try yoga classes and learn routines before bed that help them sleep better.
Yoga can be a good way to burn off extra energy, stay healthy, stay limber, and even sleep better. Different poses will affect different things in our bodies without most of us even realizing it. If your loved one has not started doing yoga, now is the best time to start. It can help them relieve stress, aid in digestion, and improve sleeping habits. There may even be senior classes in the nearby community center.
Best Yoga Poses for Insomnia
If you want to calm your nerves it may not be the best idea to do a rigorous workout. Fast-paced workouts can leave a seniors body sore and ramped up too much to sleep. The goal of doing yoga is to find calming poses that are restorative. Seniors can start with these simple poses if they feel comfortable doing so.
Forward Fold
Standing with feet close together a senior can bend over. They don’t touch the ground but they can also use blocks to stay stable during this fold. This pose helps a senior calm down and ease tension inside their bodies to help them sleep at night.
Legs Up The Wall
One of the best ways to wind down for the night is to lay in bed or on the ground and put their legs up the wall. It is another inversion pose like the last one. It helps prepare the body for sleep and allows a senior to reflect on the day they had. Having this small amount of time to lay and think things over may help them sort through thoughts which allows them to sleep.
Puppy Pose
If a senior has good knees this will be a great pose for them. If they have bad knees the senior should have small pillows to kneel on. Once they find a comfortable position on their knees they will bend forward, forehead on the ground and arms stretched ahead. This will be a great pose to relieve stress and tension for bedtime.