WHAT SHOULD BE THE SLEEPING POSITION ACCORDING TO BREATHING SCIENCE( SWARA YOGA)?PRANAYAMA-27

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SLEEPING POSITION;-

07 FACTS;-

1-Sleep is an equally essential to air, water, and food. Unfortunately, most of us simply do not get enough of it.Researchers are telling us that sleeping less than six hours per night can actually shut down some genes, that play a key role in the body’s process of self-repair.

2-Sleep is necessary for us to clear the toxin called beta-amyloid and tau proteins( abundant in neurons of the central nervous system in the brain. Study suggests that sleep helps restore the brain by flushing out toxins that build up during waking hours.

3-Improper sleeping position can cause of back pain, neck pain,stomach troubles etc. Sleep helps our brains sort out, reorder and make sense of all the information it consumes during the day.

4-Sleep plays a significant role in brain development. It is impossible to overcome sleep deprivation through any

other recovery method.

5-Sleeping in the same position night after night can

itself create pain in neck and shoulder. One position all night is also not good for blood circulation.We need to

change our positions, at least three to five times per night.

6-Yoga tells us that you should sleep on the left side of your body for 50% of your sleeping time

and rest of the time you should change your position. For proper sleep, you must choose a mattress that isn’t

too hard or too soft.

7-Something that conforms to your body without creating

pressure points works best. And surrounding yourself with multiple pillows usually helps. You

can use full-length body pillow between your knees. Getting comfortable when you sleep is important because a lack of sleep can cause joint inflammation and lowers

your pain threshold. It’s important to use a pillow to keep your head in a neutral position, so your head

won’t drop and affect your posture.

WHAT ARE THE SLEEPING CYCLES?-

04 FACTS;-

1-There are five distinct phases of sleep. We pass from wakefulness through the sleep phases in a very orderly

pattern. One sleep cycle takes about 90 to 120 minutes, thus for an average sleep time of eight hours, there

will be a four to five complete sleep cycles.

2-The sleep cycle begins with four-stages of non-rapid eye

movement (Non-REM) sleep. After completing the first

stages, instead of continue to fifth REM sleep the four fourth stages quickly reversed and then

followed by REM sleep.

3-The REM sleep will occur roughly after 90 minutes of

falling asleep,and it will last only for about 10 minutes. The steps of sleep are: Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM.

Stage 4 is actually the deepest period of sleep. If you wake up out of stage 4, you are likely to be

disoriented, groggy(faint)and even have a headache. After REM sleep, the whole cycle begins again. The brain is very active during REM sleep.

4-REM sleep is when we do most of our dreaming.

We are fascinated by dreaming.

WHAT ARE THE NORMAL SLEEPING POSITIONS?

02 FACTS;-

1-There are four basic sleeping positions: left-side, right-side, on-back and on-stomach. About sixty percent of Americans sleep on their side. Only 14% sleep on their

back and 16% on their stomach. Which way is best? Every position have their own advantages and

disadvantages.

2-Sleeping in the same position night after night creates problems. Consistently compressing the body on one side or stretching another side over time can create an

imbalance and result in pain in that area. To avoid pains, We need to change our sleeping positions.

SLEEPING ON BACK;-

03 FACTS;-

1-Sleeping on the back prevents facial wrinkles because nothing is pushing against your face. However, lying flat on your back, may be good for the lower back but can create digestive and breathing problems. Back sleeping is associated with snoring because while you are on

your back, your tongue moves back into your throat.

2-Lying on the back, on the other hand, causes the respiration to be through the mouth. The mouth

opens up when lying on back as the inferior jaw relax. Respiration through the mouth then makes the person

prone to colds, especially in the winter, and also to gum dryness and its resulting inflammation. These positions the jaw and uvula(a fleshy extension at the back of the soft palate which hangs above the throat) oppose the wideness of nose and prevents current of breath.

3-So snoring will increase. If you prefer to sleep on your

back, be careful as it may actually induce(move by influence) lower back pain and even episodes of apnea (pauses in breathing)which interfere with normal sleep and restfulness.

SLEEPING ON STOMACH ;-

03 FACTS;-

1-When you have lower back pain, occasionally sleeping on your stomach can relieve pressure on your disc spaces. Facedown keeps your upper airways more open.

2-The body’s weight compresses the lungs, preventing a fully expanded deep breath. Sleeping on your stomach

flattens the natural curve in the lower back and keeps your head turned to one side all night, which distorts the alignment of the spine in your neck.

3-Sleeping on your stomach can reduce snoring and diminish sleep apnea, but it is also taxing for your neck.

If you do sleep on your stomach use an extremely soft pillow. For hyperacidity and lower back pain problems you may sleep few hours on your stomach.

SLEEPING ON SIDES ;-

04 FACTS;-

1-Sleeping on the sides can also cause unwanted skin aging, since placing one side of your face on the pillow can cause you to get wrinkles.

2-The side in which you sleep on can also play a role

in your health. Sleeping on the right side can worsen heartburn.

3-However,sleeping on the left side can put a strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach, but also while reducing acid reflux.

4-Pregnant women are advised to sleep on their left side for optimal blood flow.

SLEEPING ON RIGHT SIDE ;-

04 FACTS;-

1-When lying on your right side, you may lower your blood pressure and heart rate, which is good for individuals suffering from heart conditions.

2-Sleeping on the right side does not let the weight of stomach & intestine to suppress heart, hence blood circulation is not affected. Some researchers

have suggested that when the right side is down, the heart is in a more superior position, making it easier

for it to pump blood out.

3-The sympathetic nervous system is slowed when an individual sleeps on the right side. This can help lower

blood pressure and slow heart rate during sleep, both of which may benefit people with heart problems.

(sympathetic-A part of the nervous system that serves to accelerate the heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure.)

SLEEPING ON LEFT SIDE ;-

02 FACTS;-

1-Our lymphatic system is dominant on the left side of the body. Along the way, lymph fluid carrying proteins,

glucose and other metabolites and waste products is purified by lymph nodes and is then drained into the left side of the heart.

2-Our heart, spleen,and pancreas are mostly on the left

side of our body. Sleeping on the left side favor better digestion and better lymphatic drainage.(lymphatic-Small thin channels similar to blood vessels that do not carry blood, but collect and carry tissue fluid)\

SLEEPING POSITION & YOGA PHILOSOPHY(NADIS)

06 FACTS;-

1-According to yoga philosophy, there are two main energy channels in our body. They are known as Sun and the Moon channel. And at the middle there is the

central channel. The activation of the channels also depends on the sleeping position.

2-The channel opposite to the side we are sleeping on

gets activated predominantly. The Moon channel is activated when a person sleeps on his right side. The

Sun channel is activated when a person sleeps on their left side.

3-Yoga does not recommend sleeping in one position for long time. Fifty percent of sleeping time on left side and other fifty percent on right side is recommended

in yoga. This brings balance to the Sun and Moon channels. However, depending on the physical and

mental conditions of the person, this left and right side sleeping positions must be adjusted.

4-There are three curves on the body that you should be

paying attention to; one in the lower back, one in middle of your back, and one near the neck. Yoga recommends

to maintain these natural curves and natural blood circulation of the body when you sleep.

5-According to ayurveda, one should sleep with his head towards the south and legs towards north. One can also sleep with his head towards east and legs towards west.

6-But one should not sleep head towards north or west directions. The earth’s magnetic field is in North-South

direction and this retards the blood flow through brain capillaries and affect the functioning of the brain cells.

.....SHIVOHAM....