Approximately 58% of people over 59 report difficulty falling asleep at least a few nights per week. Of those with sleep problems, 85% don’t seek treatment. Poor or inadequate sleep can be detrimental to one’s health, vitality,and the resilience needed to function properly every day. People who don’t sleep well tend to be sicker, are at a higher risk for falls, plus there seems to be a correlation between sleep deprivation and earlier death.
What causes loss of sleep? Stress/anxiety, side effects of medications, poor sleep hygiene, sleep apnea and much more.
Many articles and experts explain good sleep hygiene. However, it doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. Sleep medications come with a lot of unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous, side effects: drowsiness, memory disruptions, risks of falls, and dependency. Cognitive behavioral therapy works for many, but may not be accessible or desirable for everyone.
According to Chinese medicine, both insomnia and sleepless nights are a product of an imbalance between yin and yang or “broken energy force” - what we call qi. Not everyone agrees with this explanation, however, it is rarely doubted that Tai Chi has the ability to promote good quality sleep by releasing physical and mental tension, which decreases anxiety and depression. Relaxing your muscles, as well as your mind and emotions, may also reduce pain, which is another cause for restless sleep.
In a UCLA study published in the July 2008 issue of the scientific journal Sleep, the researchers determined that the group who performed Tai Chi (compared to those who took classes on healthy lifestyles, including sleep hygiene) had a significant improvement in the quality of their sleep, took less time to fall asleep, awakened less, slept longer, and felt better rested.
A clinical trial compared Tai Chi with low-impact exercise. The researchers found that the group who performed Tai Chi were able, on average, to get to sleep 18 minutes faster than they did at the beginning of the study. As well, they slept an average of 48 minutes more per night.
Research in the Clinical Interventions in Aging reported that even older adults with cognitive impairment and frequent sleep disturbances, improved their sleep when they incorporated Tai Chi into their lives.
A metanalysis in the 2013 Journal of Sleep Disorders indicated that Tai Chi significantly improved sleep quality for healthy patients and those with chronic health conditions. Their physical performance and psychological well being improved compared with the control group. Along with better sleep, came a reduction in pain. This analysis also included people from different countries. Researchers concluded that Tai Chi should be considered an alternative behavioral therapy for the treatment of insomnia. Tai Chi may act in a similar way to cognitive behavioral therapy in that it allows the patient to have a better mind-body connection.
Tai Chi can be practiced at any time of the day or evening and is an effective way to create relaxed readiness for a good night’s sleep. Tai Chi or qigong will slow your heart rate, ease tension, and allow emotions to rise and fall without holding on to them, as you empty and clear your mind.
If practicing before bed, do so in a quiet, cool, somewhat dark room, which is ideal for sleeping. You don’t need to do the entire form. Bedtime practice can be as simple as “gathering qi” or even just abdominal breathing slowly as you focus on the air coming in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Tai Chi does require some discipline and perseverance in order to achieve the desired outcome. As with other behavioral therapies,Tai Chi may have profound salutogenic effects on sleep quality. However, these effects only come with consistent practice.
Isn’t it worth your time for enjoy a better night’s sleep?