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Sleep and insomnia

When counting sheep doesn't work

Guided rest for people whose minds won't switch off at night.

Best for

  • ✓Chronic insomnia and sleep problems
  • ✓Racing mind at bedtime
  • ✓Waking at 3am and can't get back to sleep
  • ✓Exhaustion but unable to rest

What to expect

Guided deep relaxation lying down. Some students fall asleep during practice, which is fine. No movement, no effort.

A Yoga Nidra class, or a Gong Bath when one is listed

Three in the morning. Again. The ceiling. The clock. The dread of another exhausted day.

You've tried everything: sleep hygiene, no screens, magnesium, lavender, meditation apps. You can get your body into bed, but you can't get your mind to switch off. The harder you try to sleep, the more awake you become.

During the day you're running on fumes: foggy, irritable, forgetting things. You know sleep is supposed to be restful, but for you it's become a battleground. And you're losing.

How the class works

Yoga Nidra is a guided relaxation practice between waking and sleep. You follow my voice while lying down. Some people fall asleep, which is fine.

There's nothing to get right. You lie down under a blanket, I talk, and your only job is to listen for as long as you can. If you drift off, your body clearly wanted the sleep.

A Gong Bath is the no-effort alternative: you lie down and listen to the sound instead of a voice. Dates vary, so check the timetable for current dates.

Classes that help

Breathe.Meditate.Relax

Where the Yoga Nidra lives

  • ·Lying down, fully supported with bolsters and blankets
  • ·Guided body scan and deep relaxation
  • ·A practice you can repeat at home before bed

Gong Bath & Sound Healing

Lie down. Sound does the rest.

  • ·Steady sound for a busy mind to rest on
  • ·No skill required, you just lie there
  • ·Check the timetable for current dates

Yin Yoga

A slow hour for the evening

  • ·Long-held, supported poses
  • ·Quiet and unhurried
  • ·A good wind-down

What the research says

  • 1.There are studies on Yoga Nidra and sleep, but they tested specific research protocols, not my classes, so I won't pass their results off as mine.
  • 2.What students tell me: many drift off during practice, and some say they sleep better that night. Their experience, not a guarantee.

If insomnia persists for more than a few weeks, or you suspect sleep apnoea or other medical conditions, consult your GP.

If you need more than yoga

Yoga helps a lot of people, but it isn't everything. If you need more, here's where I'd point you.

Your GP

Rule out sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, or hormonal causes

Talk to Luke

Psychodynamic therapy in Wallington

Croydon Talking Therapies

Offers CBT-i (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia)

Mind in Croydon

Mental health support and sleep hygiene resources

Common questions

Related guides

Nervous system regulationYoga for anxietyMenopause support

Come and lie down

An hour of guided rest, lying down under a blanket. See what your body does with it.

Book a gong bath or Yoga NidraEmail me

New students welcome. Bring your exhaustion.

Read about my training.