Do you ever lie awake at night, with thoughts racing through your mind? Instead of drifting off to sleep, your brain is buzzing with ideas, and you find yourself tossing and turning, trying to catch some sleep.

Being unable to fall asleep at night because your mind is overly active is one of the most common sleeping problems. This kind of hyperarousal doesn't only happen after a stressful day – feeling "wired and tired" plays an essential role in chronic insomnia too.

In our always-on, always-connected world, it's easy to keep yourself busy ‘til right before bedtime – if you have bedtime at all. Unfortunately, your body and mind don’t have an on-off button that you can flip when it’s time to fall asleep.

To produce sleep-inducing hormones and calm your nervous system, you have to transition from stimulating activities to sleeping. That’s why you need a relaxing bedtime ritual to help you wind down and get a good night’s sleep. 

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. It recharges and revitalizes you, making you feel better both mentally and physically. Sleep is vital to your good health, but did you know that it can actually prevent certain medical conditions?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about a third of adults in the United States do not enough sleep each night. Sleep is a problem in our society today. People tend to be more stressed and often have more on their plate than they can handle. And when people are sleep deprived, health issues are soon to follow.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Learn more about healthy sleep and the medical conditions it helps to prevent.

The secret is out ...

... Yoga is incredible.

Unlike other forms of exercise, a regular yoga practice can calm the mind, release tension in the body, strengthen the central nervous system, and beat stress.

The best part?

Yoga may just be that extra boost you've been looking for in your battle against insomnia.

By practicing a primary restorative yoga sequence in the evening, you can promote a good night's sleep by releasing the stress of your day, establishing a nightly routine for restful sleep, and shifting to a deeper mode of breathing.

For each of these relaxing yoga poses, take a gentle approach. Focus on making a deep breath as you enter the posture. Without forcing your body into the pose, take 5-10 deep, smooth breaths and try to keep your mind present with each breath.

Before you know it, it will be time to move on to the next yoga pose, and you'll be yawning and ready for the best night of restful sleep since you were in diapers.

Some days, we don't get enough sleep and need a power nap at work or during long commutes. It's wishful thinking, bringing your bed anywhere with you, so we make do with desks and chairs. But, I know how difficult it is trying to sleep while sitting up, and it feels uncomfortable!

But how to sleep sitting up? And after trying the steps out myself, I was surprised that it worked and I got some good sleep.

For more later, then read on as in a bit ...