If you’re like most people with ADHD, you are prone to accumulating sleep debt by consistently getting behind on your sleep.
Having sleep debt can significantly worsen ADHD symptoms and leave you feeling tired and burnt out.
How would you like to add an extra hour or two of quality sleep each night to pay off your sleep debt? That’s what the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra can help you do (also referred to as Non-Sleep Deep Rest or NSDR).
The National Sleep Foundation reports that nearly one-third of Americans get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body is going to start paying the price.
The easiest and most effective way I’ve found to repay my ADHD sleep debt and recovery my lost sleep time is using Yoga Nidra.
What Is Yoga Nidra And How Does It Help ADHD?
Yoga Nidra is a form of Yoga that involves deep relaxation and meditation.
It has been popularized by podcaster and Stanford researcher Andrew Huberman who refers to it under the term Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR).
Yoga Nidra and related NSDR practices have been shown by a growing body of scientific research to be an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality and boost mood.
While most people associate Yoga with an active movement practice using different postures called asanas, Yoga Nidra is done lying down like you are sleeping.
In a Yoga Nidra session, you are guided through a series of relaxation techniques that will help you to release tension and stress, and promote feelings of calm and well-being.
How Yoga Nidra Helps Repay Your ADHD Sleep Debt:
Many Yoga teachers claim that 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 2-3 hours of sleep at night.
While this hasn’t been backed up by scientific research, anecdotally many people who practice Yoga Nidra swear by it as a way to catch up on sleep and feel more rested if they are chronically tired or stressed out.
I have found that doing a Yoga Nidra session in the afternoon is particularly effective for reducing my afternoon slumps and recharging my brain at a time of day when my productivity tends to plummet.
Here is how Yoga Nidra may help you recover lost sleep and repay your sleep debt:
1. Yoga Nidra is a form of meditation that helps you focus and calm the mind. This may lead to a better night’s sleep as your mind is less busy. It has been found to be an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety and stress levels [1].
2. Yoga Nidra helps you relax and fall asleep more quickly. If you do it before bed, it can also help you achieve a more restful sleep [2].
3. Yoga Nidra is a great way to reduce cortisol, the “stress hormone.” High levels of cortisol can interfere with sleep and also make it difficult to fall asleep at night [3].
4. Empirical studies on Yoga Nidra confirm positive effects on various physiological and psychological criteria such as insomnia, addictive behavior, chronic diseases, pain therapy, pregnancies, geriatrics, asthma as well as disorders of the cardiovascular system [4].
5. Regular Yoga Nidra practice has been found to be highly effective at treating chronic insomnia [5].
6. While there have not been specific studies on Yoga Nidra for ADHD, a systemic review found that Yoga and meditation positively affect various symptoms in children with ADHD, including attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviour [6].
So, if you’re looking for a way to repay your sleep debt and reduce your ADHD symptoms, you are definitely going to need to give Yoga Nidra a try. You may be surprised at how well it can help you relax and get the rest you need to fully recharge your mind and body.
How To Experience Yoga Nidra For Yourself:
If you’re looking for a way to repay your sleep debt, try out Yoga Nidra yourself with this Experience Yoga Nidra playlist on YouTube.
A 2002 study used the Yoga Nidra audio sessions from this Experience Yoga Nidra playlist and scientists used brain scan imaging to observe participants after their Yoga Nidra session.
The study found that a 45-minute single Yoga Nidra resulted in a 65% increase in dopamine release, which helped to improve focus, energy and mood, especially for adults with ADHD.
Here’s how to try out Experience Yoga Nidra for yourself:
For a 20-minute quick nap session listen to The Wholeness Of Your Nature: The Little Yoga Nidra
For a 45-minute deep rest session, listen to The Discover of Your Self: The Deep Yoga Nidra
Both of these sessions are from the Experience Yoga Nidra playlist on YouTube that I have embedded below for you to listen.
I hope you enjoy these free tracks from Swami Janakananda’s Experience Yoga Nidra album.
