Yoga for Better Sleep: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

by Mark Stephens, Sally Kempton (Foreword)

Learn simple yoga techniques--poses, meditations, and breathwork--to sleep better and longer, from master yoga teacher trainer and author, Mark Stephens.

As modern science unravels some of the mysteries of our sleeping, dreaming, and waking states, age-old yoga practices are helping us to enjoy better sleep, clearer minds, and healthier bodies. Over 65 percent of U.S. adults are sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation causes and worsens many ailments, including stress, heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. This book provides easy-to-do and effective yoga activities--including postural sequences, breathing exercises, and meditation tools--for better quality and quantity sleep across the life cycle from childhood to older age. Long-time yoga instructor, teacher trainer, and best-selling author Mark Stephens integrates the ancient wisdom of yoga with the practical insights, age- and condition-specific sequences, and discussions of neuroscience and psychology to offer practical tools for improving sleep--naturally and drug-free.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Reference, Science

376 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2019

About the author

After dabbling in yoga in my teens (1970s!), I've been passionately devoted practicing yoga since January 1, 1991, and since January 1, 1996 I've been equally passionate in sharing yoga as a personal practice for making every moment of one’s life better – healthier, clearer, and altogether more joyful. While Yoga Journal referred to me as "the teacher's teacher," I steadfastly believe that the best teach you will ever have is inside of you. At the same time, with practice and study, we can offer meaningful guidance to others, and this is precisely the intention in my textbooks for yoga teachers: Teaching Yoga (2010/2024), Yoga Sequencing (2012), Yoga Adjustments (2014) Yoga Therapy (2017), and Yoga for Better Sleep (2019.) I now writing a book on Yoga Histories and Philosophies from Ancient to Modern Times. All odf this taps into my background in Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Vinyasa Flow, Tantra, and Yoga Therapy, plus fairly deep academic study of things like anatomy, philosophy, research methods and more. I try to bring an eclectic perspective to the practice that's all about making yoga more accessible, sustainable, and deeply transformational.

Reviews

[Iryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Останні півроку я майже не висипалася. При цьому лягала спати о 10 вечора, не переїдала на ніч і не зазнавала надмірного стресу. Більше того, вже півтора року активно займалася йогою.
Врешті-решт мені набридло вночі просто лежати в ліжку, спостерігати за тим, як на годиннику перемикаються циферки й тихенько заздрити чоловікові, котрий засинав, щойно його голова опинялася на подушці.
Треба було діяти. І я знайшла цю книжку. Почала її читати, не особливо надіючись на успіх. І даремно! Методи, описані в ній, таки діють.
Тепер я виробила власний щоденний ритуал засинання і майже забула, що таке безсонні ночі.

Що мені сподобалося в цій книзі? Перш за все, поділ на дві частини — теоретичну і практичну.
Теоретична реально добре опрацьована, тут чимало наукових пояснень, класифікацій видів безсоння та його причин.
В практичній — сила-силенна асан та дихальних практик (для різного віку та фізичної підготовки, стану здоров’я).
Це дуже ґрунтовна книга, яка дає всі необхідні знання й залишається хіба сумлінно застосовувати їх на практиці.

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts by explaining the mechanisms of sleep & what can disturb it. For many, some information might be old news (don't surf the web or social media before bed), but I imagine there are also many who will be discovering this for the first time, after all, we can't know everything. While I already understood a good amount of the information provided, I also learned a lot. My problem is, now that I know how we sleep & what I should do to fall asleep, I've been having more trouble falling asleep because my active brain decides to ruminate on what I learned while I'm trying to sleep.

It's July as of the time of this review & I've been struggling to fall asleep even though I'm exhausted. I run my own small organic family farm & am utterly pooped. When I finally crawl into bed, I find myself awake an hour later. I end up napping during the day. I always thought naps were okay. Mark Stephens explains how napping reduces the sleep pressure required. Napping can make falling asleep & staying asleep worse. I have now stopped napping. I'm more tired than ever & I'm still having trouble falling asleep. From other info. in this book I believe part of the problem is the overly long days. Too long for me. There is not enough darkness. Plus, my bedroom is way too warm. It's too warm, because it's so flippin' hot out & it isn't cooling off at night. I expect as the days grow shorter & the temps stop trying to boil me in my flesh, I'll finally start to sleep better, plus I'll actually get some down time before bed.

The yoga sequences are great. There are several practices for various types of people, plus one general practice. My yoga practices consist of Jane Adams DVD's which I love. Jane is great for us middle aged, less flexible types. While Jane does a wonderful job walking you through each pose, she doesn't always provide alternatives if you cannot do a pose. This book gives several alternatives for each pose. If you can't do pose A then try this. If you also can't do this, then try this instead. Each pose option makes the position easier & easier depending on your flexibility. He also provides info. at the beginning of each pose listing possible sensitivities. For example: Side Stretch. Special Sensitivity: Low back, neck, knees, shoulders. Next any need props are listed, then how to do the pose with various adjustments if you struggle with the pose.

Overall, I am very pleased with this book. It has increased my knowledge regarding sleep, provided me with incredibly relaxing yoga routines, & shown me how to make adjustments to poses I've struggled with in the past.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Yoga for Better Sleep: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science, Mark Stephens gives some great information and some excellent advice! He starts his book by telling about what a good night’s sleep is and why it is important. He also talks about the stages that we go through as we sleep. Then, he goes on to describe the various sleep disorders that people may complain about. Finally, he suggests some hows and whys of how to accomplish effective and satisfying sleep. He presents yoga postures and breathing techniques that are, indeed, effective. He even modifies the asanas for those who cannot perform due to old age, restrictions, or poor balance. He concludes by discussing how sleep patterns change throughout our lives.

This is an informative and very interesting book. If the reader followed his advice, there would be an improvement in the quality of sleep.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Linda]

I read/skimmed the first part, which was lots of good information about sleep patterns and sleep problems, though it didn't make for scintillating reading. Then I perused the first couple chapters of the second part and may try to put some of it into practice. Not a fun read but probably helpful.

[Stephanie Carrobourg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a snooze.
3 1/2 ⭐️

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zzzzzz

[REYNALDO RAFAELLO · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro con bastante teoría al inicio lo cual es bueno, pero luego en la parte practica con fotos y explicaciones de cada posición, no me agrado mucho.

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit skeptical, before this arrived in the post, when I saw that it was 300+ pages long. I didn't understand how a book on yoga for sleep could be that long. However, when I saw the level of detail in this book it made sense. As someone who works in the healthcare field I found this book to be well researched with 26 pages dedicated to the bibliography (pages 293-319). It is a mini textbook complete with an index to help you quickly find any topic you want to flip back to. Some of the chapters include the Basic Yoga Sleep Sequence, which has clear black and with photographs of real people demonstrating the poses. Subsequent chapters include, Yoga Sleep Sequence for Hyperarousal and Yoga Sleep Sequence for Depression or Lethargy. The book includes a glossary of terms and goes in-depth to explain all the phases of sleep. There is even a small section on jet lag and shift work. Overall I am impressed with the content of this book. 

Here's a quick list of tips for better sleep that was provided in the book:

Stick to a sleep schedule
Exercise is great, but not too late in the day (2 to 3 hrs before before bed)
Avoid caffeine and nicotine before bed
Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night
If possible, avoid medications that delay or disrupt your sleep
Don't take naps after 3pm
Relax before bed
Take a hot bath before bed
Have a good sleeping environment
Have the right sunlight exposure
Don't lie in bed awake
See a health professional if you continue to have trouble sleeping

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite how slowly I read this book, I found it to be very useful. The author has different recommendations for a series of yoga poses based on why you have trouble sleeping, age, physical ability, etc. The book includes pictures of each pose in each series as well as modifications for comfort level. I also really like that the yoga information is given in combination with scientific research and current understandings of various aspects of neuroscience. Some of the science reading was slow going for me, but the guy has clearly done his research to present the data and basis for his recommendations.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very happy to receive this copy of Yoga for better sleep. I think it’s very important to combine science with yoga. It helps all the skeptics. I loved the various photo poses for different needs were shown in the book . The book was broken down in sections enabling the reader to read cover to cover and as a reference. The depth of research and resources is excellent. I was not familiar with the author before but, plan on reading his other books.
This will be a great gift to my yoga instructor.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway).

As others have already stated, this book reads more like a textbook than a novel or a book filled with "how to do yoga" poses. While there are some poses demonstrated (with photos included) the text is still very information heavy. This is by no means a bad thing, it just means that it's not a book I'm personally going to sit down and read cover to cover.

[Sara Sears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Goodreads for a copy of this book! This book provides a great foundation of the bodies sleep process and the factors that disrupt it. Very detailed but easy to follow. Provide's great pictures, descriptions and what you will need to perform each pose. Great for beginners who just want to dip their toe into the world of yoga.

[Regina Tula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very in depth guide to yoga practice and techniques. I particularly enjoyed how there are sections you may pick and choose to read and then apply based on your personal physical and emotional need. Very very good book! Thank you. So far the benefits of yoga are working for this novice. But I think avid yoga practicing individuals would find great value from this book as well.

[Lisa Frieden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a surprisingly helpful book in that it consolidates a lot of current sleep research and how the brain works re: sleep processes and goes on to include many useful pointers about good "sleep hygiene" and yoga practices to help with relaxation for insomnia and sleep apnea. The first thing I did was get rid of the clock from my bedroom!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful instruction and insights on how to improve your sleep with yoga. Granted, I think any physical activity later combined with stretching, breath work, meditation (a winding down before bed) is going to help your overall sleep hygiene. Still, the book provides further details, how to’s, on implementing yoga into your everyday.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is informative but not the easiest to put into practice. It would be helpful if there was a summary of the sequences at the end of each chapter or available on the author's website. Addtionally, a clear guide to combining sequences that can be found on one or two pages rather than jumping all over the book.

[Valentina Zerpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es necesario tener conocimientos básicos de yoga para lograr comprender las analogías con las neurociencias.
Muy bueno para entender las bases biológicas que fundamentan los beneficios del yoga para un mejor dormir además de tener ejemplos de prácticas para diversos problemas para dormir que se pueden usar para una clase o para sí mismo.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the opening section on how to adjust your lifestyle for better sleep, but it's done better in other books. I didn't get on so well with the actual yoga exercises - they're good, but I felt like I wanted a video, not a book. That's more of a comment on my learning style, not the actual book - I had the same experience with books on Tai Chi, Karate, and other physical training techniques.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

About two years ago, I faced a period of intense insomnia and it taught me great respect for sleep and sleep hygiene, and sympathy for those who struggle with insomnia. It was horrible. Now I only occasionally struggle with insomnia and it is horrible so I really follow this. Good practices for times when you are struggling with sleep. I love Mark Stephens's work.

[Amy Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a lover of Yoga but just trying the breathing exercises for breathing is making me sleep better. Even thinking of trying some of the exercises for a better life!! Thanks for the great and inspiring read!!

[Dolank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had finished this book awhile a go but wanted to put the evening practices into practice.(?) However, I have not been constant enough to say that this book has impacted my sleep.
I was inspired while reading the book but the inspiration was shortly lost.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* ⭐️- yoga has transformed my life and has helped me in my health and wellness journey. This book breaks down stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia in an easy format. The yoga poses will help with your sleep schedule and routine. Sleep is so important!!❤️🙏🏼

[christinemm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best for yoga instructors. Wordy. My full review is in amazon. ChristineMM

[Amanda Adams]

Won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway and I can't for it to arrive in the mail. Looking forward to this read --will update upon completion.

[Kathryn Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of wonder and sleeping well.

[Darby Gwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-researched book. The last half is mostly yoga poses for specific sleep troubles, so I just skipped around to those that related to me.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a detailed history of yoga this book is for you. I was hoping to learn some more of the why behind why yoga can help with sleep. The yoga sequences, while helpful, had too much text.