23/03/2026
The Science of Sleep & Yoga Nidra 🔬
Ever wondered why Yoga Nidra is so effective for sleep? There's some fascinating science behind it — and it goes well beyond simply relaxing.
During a Yoga Nidra session, brain activity shifts into alpha waves — the same slow, calm waves your brain produces just before you fall asleep. With regular practice, your brain becomes better at accessing this state naturally at bedtime, making it easier to drift off without the usual mental chatter.
But it goes deeper than that. Yoga Nidra has also been shown to reduce cortisol — the body's primary stress hormone — and to increase levels of dopamine in the brain. High cortisol at night is one of the most common reasons people struggle to sleep; it keeps the body in a state of alertness even when we're exhausted. By actively lowering cortisol, Yoga Nidra helps break this cycle.
Studies have also found that the practice activates the parasympathetic nervous system (our 'rest and digest' mode), reducing heart rate and blood pressure while promoting the conditions your body needs for deep, restorative sleep — including the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Perhaps most powerfully, Yoga Nidra can also enable you to access the theta brainwave state — a deeply receptive state usually only experienced briefly as we fall asleep. Spending time here during practice can help process stress and emotion, leaving you lighter and calmer when bedtime comes.
My next Yoga Nidra class is on Wednesday 1st April at St Thomas Church Hall, Exeter 7pm to 8.15pm. £10. Drop me a message or email jenna@equanimityyoga.co.uk to book.
