Struggling with sleep problems in menopause? Yoga Nidra is the answer.

“I just can’t sleep. Either I can’t get to sleep, or I keep waking up in the middle of the night. I’m exhausted!” Sadly, I hear this all the time, and what’s so annoying is that you then fall into a deep sleep just as the alarm clock rings! But don’t worry if you’re struggling with sleep, there’s a natural and effective solution that works wonders for sleep problems in menopause. It’s a meditation called Yoga Nidra for sleep and a 45-minute practice is the EQUIVALENT OF 3 HOURS DEEP SLEEP.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep is an ancient meditation practice from India that requires you to simply listen to a guided sleep meditation in which you’re taken on a journey through various stages of relaxation and breathing techniques. These serve to completely relax both your mind and body. But this is not a hot-bath and a good-book type of relaxation; this is deep elaxation and surrender on a whole new level, making it perfect for anxiety and sleep problems in menopause.

How does this magic meditation for sleep work?

Yoga Nidra is unlike traditional meditations. There’s no awkward crossed legged sitting for Yoga Nidra begins in Savasana – the yummy lying down relaxation pose at the end of a typical yoga class. Also, unlike traditional meditations where you’re fully conscious, in Yoga Nidra you enter the dream state REM sleep where your thoughts slow down, and you enter that blissful ‘nothingness’ state.

A further and final state can be reached in Yoga Nidra and it’s one of deep surrender where your brainwaves slow rightdown, your heart rate mellows out, and your stress levels take a complete nosedive.

So profound is the relaxation at this stage that it’s often hard to open your eyes or even remember your name! This can only be described as pure bliss and it’s far removed from the sleep problems in menopausethat leave you tossing and turning for hours.

But get this, in Yoga Nidra you’re not actually asleep - you remain awake and present in order to receive its full refreshing benefits.

Will Yoga Nidra help my sleep problems in menopause?

Whether you can’t get to sleep or are troubled with disruptive sleep due to night sweats, restless legs, or a monkey mind, Yoga Nidra works on two levels. Firstly, it helps you power down your mind and disconnect from all your to-do lists, and secondly it works to completely relax every part of your body, making it the perfect invitation for a good night’s sleep.

Yoga Nidra puts you into the most restorative state for your body, in which your organs regenerate, and cortisol (the stress hormone) is removed from your system – which is why it’s perfect for menopause whenever trouble sleeping and anxiety creep in.  

Can a daytime Yoga Nidra help fix my sleep problems?

Lack of sleep in menopause tends can leave you feeling exhausted and unable to cope with the day ahead, and that’s when Nidra can help too. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed during the day, taking a short break to practice Yoga Nidra and recharge your batteries can work wonders. A daytime Nidra is like pressing reset and it will leave you feeling completely restored with more energy. And, because you don’t technically ‘sleep’ in Nidra, you won’t have that horrible groggy feeling on waking from a daytime ‘power-nap’, plus, as an added benefit, it won’t spoil your evening sleep later.

How do I practice Yoga Nidra?

Invest in a guided Yoga Nidra meditation, pop in some headphones, find a comfortable spot if you’re not practicing in bed and have something to keep you warm. That’s it, and away you go. Depending on your sleep issues, either practice before you go to sleep or if you’re plagued with waking up during the night, have your headphones nearby. If you practice Yoga Nidra during the day, try an eye mask or something to cover your eyes to help you relax into the practice.

A daytime Nidra will leave you feeling like you’ve really rested. Many women in menopause who practice the technique regularly claim their energy levels feel replenished without that groggy feeling. So if you’ve had a bad night’s sleep, a 30-45 minute Nidra practice will help to recharge your batteries.

My personal experience of Yoga Nidra

Naturally, as a yoga teacher, I was super keen to experiment with Yoga Nidra as I know from firsthand just how much sleep problems in menopause can impact our day-to-day life…. not to mention our work and relationships too. So, I gave it a go and immediately signed up to become a certified teacher.

Not only has this practice had a profound impact on my own sleep, but it’s made me so much more relaxed and calmer throughout the day and less triggered by stress.

But Yoga Nidra really came into its own when I suffered a bad concussion and struggled to find relief from the chronic headaches. By practicing both day and night, I allowed my body to completely surrender, which in turn allowed the inflammation to decrease, the pain to subside, and my healing process to begin.

Conclusion:

So, if you’re struggling with sleep problems in menopause, Yoga Nidra will help train your mind and body to relax so that you can enjoy a more restful and sound sleep. Plus, it will also help to release stress and tension that ordinary sleep can’t resolve so that dealing with menopause becomes that little bit easier. You can also download our FREE guide to managing sleep in menopause. Your holistic wellbeing is worth its weight in gold, right?

Why not enjoy 7-days free access to our online yoga Nidra meditations to help resolve your sleep issues in menopause? Plus, you can enjoy over 350+ yoga and meditation content all designed to alleviate menopause symptoms.

Have you taken our FREE Menopause quiz?

To discover other natural solutions will best help your symptoms, we invite you to take our FREE Menopause Quiz. In in just under 5 minutes, this quick and insightful quiz will unveil essential insights across four key dimensions of your menopause wellbeing – physical, mental, emotional, and future self - providing you with your personalised wellbeing score and recommendations for your menopause journey.