How Ayurveda and Yoga (Sort Of) Fixed My Terrible Sleep (And Maybe My Workouts Too)

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Nightstand with melatonin, energy drink, and dusty Ayurveda book.
Nightstand with melatonin, energy drink, and dusty Ayurveda book.

Let’s be honest – my sleep quality for training was terrible. I’d lie awake replaying failed lifts, chug pre-workout too late, then wonder why I felt like a zombie at the gym. When my coach said “you can’t out-train bad sleep,” I finally tried Ayurveda & Yoga for Better Sleep remedies and yoga for recovery. Some worked weirdly well. Others… well, let’s just say sesame oil and hardwood floors don’t mix.

Let’s Be Real: I Was Terrible at Sleeping
I used to think “sleep hygiene” meant washing your sheets occasionally. My pre-bed routine was:

Scrolling lifting memes until my eyes burned

Drinking cold brew at 9 PM because “it doesn’t affect me” (it did)

Waking up at 3 AM mentally critiquing my squat form

Then I pulled something during deadlifts because my brain was running on 4 hours of sleep and desperation. That’s when I (reluctantly) tried Ayurveda and yoga.

Ziploc herbs, dollar store diffuser.
Ziploc herbs, dollar store diffuser.

The Ayurveda Stuff I Actually Stuck With
Look, I’m not making bone broth at 5 AM or whatever. But these worked when I remembered to do them:

Pillow Hack: Stuffed an old sock with dried lavender (looks janky but smells nice)

Failed Oil Experiment: Tried rubbing sesame oil on my feet… slipped on the stairs. Dog licked it off. 0/10

Actual Win: Swapping late-night protein shakes for warm almond milk with cinnamon. Doesn’t fix everything but beats stomach grumbles

Blurry leg, "Is this restorative yoga or am I just tired?" caption.
Blurry leg, “Is this restorative yoga or am I just tired?” caption.

Yoga for People Who Hate Saying “Namaste”
I’m not bendy. My downward dog looks like a dying cockroach. Ayurveda & Yoga for Better Sleep

Legs Up the Wall: Feels stupid. Works stupidly well. Do it while watching Netflix = multitasking

Child’s Pose Variation: Basically just fetal position but fancier. Added bonus: can nap in this position

Corpse Pose: The only workout where doing nothing counts as progress

The Unexpected Perks of Sorta Fixing My Sleep
After a month of half-assing this:

My gym buddy asked if I got Botox because my eye bags shrank (no, Jessica, just sleep)

Stopped needing 3 alarms to wake up (down to 2!)

PR’d my bench press without crying (progress)

Final Thoughts: It’s Messy But It’s Working
Some nights I still eat cereal at midnight. Ayurveda & Yoga for Better Sleep Some days I skip yoga to nap. But small changes added up:

Try Tonight:

Put your phone in another room (then panic when you realize you forgot to set alarms)

5 minutes of legs up the wall (counts even if you’re checking Instagram)

6.5 hours, note reads 'BETTER THAN LAST WEEK'.
6.5 hours, note reads ‘BETTER THAN LAST WEEK’.

Outbound Link:

Why Your Pre-Workout Is Ruining Your Sleep

Yoga for People Who Can’t Touch Their Toes