What Causes Trouble Sleeping After Breathwork & How to Overcome It
Some people experience trouble sleeping after breathwork. In the sections below, we will outline various potential causes of these sleep issues and provide strategies to help you achieve a restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep following your breathwork session.
Possible Causes of Trouble Sleeping After Breathwork:
- Increased energy -Breathwork can be an intense and highly energizing experience. It may raise your heart rate, increase your alertness, and stimulate your nervous system. This heightened state of arousal can make it challenging to relax and fall asleep immediately afterward.
- Heightened awareness – Breathwork can also lead to heightened mental and emotional states. You might be processing intense emotions or thoughts, which can keep your mind active and make it difficult to unwind for sleep.
- Timing – The timing of your breathwork session can affect your sleep. If you engage in this practice late in the evening or close to your bedtime, it may interfere with your natural circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall asleep.
- Dehydration – Breathwork can cause dehydration as you may be breathing rapidly and losing fluids through respiration. Dehydration can lead to discomfort and restlessness, which can interfere with sleep.
- Need for integration – Breathwork often involves exploring deep aspects of the self and can bring up intense emotions or memories. After such experiences, some individuals may need time to integrate and process what they’ve uncovered, which may disrupt their sleep patterns.
What to Do If You Have Trouble Sleeping After Breathwork:
- Have a light snack – If you do a breathwork session in the evening and you are hungry afterward, eating is fine and may actually support re-grounding you.
- Consider leaving the sharing circle early – If you find it difficult to sleep regularly after your evening sessions, you might consider leaving the sharing session circle a bit earlier to allow some time before bedtime.
- Try calming and/or grounding practices – After your breathwork session, try taking a hot bath, gentle stretching, meditation, or journaling, to help your body and mind transition into a more restful state. You may also try connecting with nature or doing grounding exercises.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine – Establish a calming bedtime routine to signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. This may include activities like reading or practicing relaxation techniques.
- Create ground rules with people you live with – If you are living with somebody, ask the other person to agree that you will not bring anything up with each other that is emotionally unsettling. Set the intention to talk to each other in a very sweet, supportive, loving way. That will quiet and settle your mind.
- Practice slow and deep mindful breathing – If you find your mind racing, try using calming breathing techniques like deep diaphragmatic breathing to help you relax.
- Stay hydrated – Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day of your breathwork session, to prevent dehydration.
- Nurture your inner child – If you do Inner Child work, consider connecting with them before bedtime. Soothe your inner child and reassure them that both you and they will have a peaceful night’s sleep. In the morning, promise to check in with them again.
- Have patience – Understand that intense breathwork experiences can take time to process and integrate. Be patient with yourself and seek support from a qualified therapist or breathwork facilitator if needed.
Closing Thoughts
Sleep difficulties often arise from ongoing processing post-session, which isn’t necessarily negative. At bedtime, your conscious mind is quiet, allowing your psyche to continue processing significant matters. This can be especially valuable during times of crucial life decisions or contemplating major changes, potentially leading to significant insights, downloads, and/or helpful revelations.
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