We understand that you might not have the time to attend a yoga class every night. However, there are many health benefits you could get from the practice. This includes improving the quality of your sleep. Thus, it’s not much of a surprise that the keyword ‘yoga for sleep apnea’ has significant hits online.
The good news is, you can do the basic yoga poses at home.
Now, here’s what we can do for you. Since we advocate for people to prioritize better sleep, we will cover this topic as extensively as we can. We want people, most especially those who are suffering from sleep apnea, to improve their condition and to be able to reap the benefits of quality sleep.
So, let’s begin.
Best Yoga Poses for Sleep Apnea
Here, we have some of the yoga poses that could be beneficial not just for ordinary sleepers, but those who are suffering from sleep apnea. If you can schedule first with a yoga expert, this is highly encouraged. This is to ensure that your poses are correct.
Seated Forward Bend
Let’s begin with the easy one or the seated forward bend. All you have to do is start in a seated position, and you place your legs in front of you. You must sit tall.
Try to inhale slowly and reach your arms overhead. As you exhale, your should fold your body forward in order to reach your toes. Be in that same position for 10 seconds, and then repeat.
Cat-Cow
First, you need to get on your hands and knees. Make sure that your knees are in line with your wrist and hips. Don’t forget that your elbows and shoulders must be perpendicular to the surface.
Slowly inhale as you round your spine towards the ceiling. From here, you can drop your head toward the floor, as if you are trying to imitate a scared cat.
Hold that position for a second before going back to the original pose.
Next, slowly inhale while lifting your chest and tailbone to the ceiling. Lift your head and hold it for one second. You can repeat these movements for about 10 times.
Seated Twist
This is also an easy yoga pose to do. Just start by sitting in a cross-legged position. As you exhale, you should place your right hand on your left knee. The other hand should be behind the tailbone. Slowly twist your torso to your left side while you look over your left shoulder. Hold that pose for 10 seconds.
Repeat and do the same on the other side.
Yoga Breathing Techniques for Sleep Apnea
Apart from the yoga poses, there are also yoga breathing techniques that could help people with sleep apnea. One of the reasons why we recommend this is that breathing exercises generally strengthen the upper airway muscles. Here’s how to do it properly.
Sit in a comfortable position. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. As you slowly exhale, make a ‘ha’ sound. Remember that you should feel your breath in your throat.
After doing it multiple times, it’s time to close your mouth and start inhaling and exhaling through your nose. You can do this for eight minutes and do not overdo it. Doing the yoga breathing for 15 minutes and above is not ideal as well. Otherwise, there could be a strain on your throat’s muscles.
If you wish to learn more, you can refer to this YouTube video.
Things You Need, Yoga for Sleep Apnea
What we love about practicing yoga is that you don’t have to spend too much. If you have your mat and a peaceful place to practice, it’s already good enough. However, if you want to step up your game, here are a few things you might need to invest.
Dralegend Yoga Mat
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This yoga mat is highly recommended for its quality and durability. It’s also eco and skin-friendly, just in case you have a sensitive skin. Plus, it doesn’t have an odor which you may commonly notice in other yoga mats. The dual-side anti skid design is a good touch too. You will never have to worry if you need to do complex yoga poses in the future. And best of all, you don’t have to spend too much cleaning the mat. It’s easy, perfect for busy people like you.
Rain Sounds Ambience for Meditation
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There’s something about the rain that is extremely calming. So if you want to have a soothing background sound while you practice yoga, you might want to buy this Rain Sound – Sounds of Nature White Noise Sound Effects.
Woolzies Sleep Collection Essential Oil Blend Set
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Apart from the quality yoga mat and rain sounds, you might also need to get essential oils that could help you become more relaxed. The ones from Woolzies have proven its worth over the years. You get to be calm, relaxed, which ultimately leads to the best kind of sleep possible. It’s free from synthetic materials, ensuring that what you would get is natural and effective.
Word of Caution
Generally, yoga is safe. But if you have specific health conditions or spine problems, you might need to consult an expert and see which poses could help or aggravate your situation. As much as possible, do not attempt to do the poses without an expert’s approval, or you might face further health damages. But once you are already cleared, you will soon realize that yoga should be an essential part of one’s lifestyle.
Conclusion
As we all know, yoga isn’t just for getting a good amount of sleep. It has proven to improve one’s holistic health. So we recommend that you include it in your daily practice. Soon enough, you will experience the positive changes it could bring to your life. Take note though that while it may not be able to eliminate sleep apnea 100%, it could help you manage it.
For severe sleep apnea, CPAP therapy is still recommended. Seeking the help of professionals is a must to provide the right solutions.
