I learned the hard way.

In one of those days when I was really gungho about working out, I decided one evening to up my workout. It was the first time I was wearing my ipod with a sports armband and I had a favorite workout song as well to get me going. I cranked up the music, started the treadmill, and before I knew it, I had doubled the laps that I normally do.

To add to that, I did a full hour and a half of yoga which included some intense asanas.

Well, that evening, I paid the price. No matter how I tried, I could not get myself to sleep. From 11PM to about 4 in the morning the next day, I had my eyes closed but fully aware that I was not asleep. How frustrating!

A friend was guessing that maybe the workout was an energizing one. I thought so too.

But over the next few days, I thought about that night and the routine I did and after reading some yoga articles, I came to the conclusion that while too much energy could keep you awake, the opposite could also be true. You could also be TOO EXHAUSTED to sleep.

If that happens to you, you can try some of these asanas (photos from Yoga Journal):

I have lavender fragrance for the sheets since I’ve read aromatherapy articles that lavender scent is good for relaxation. I also keep ample supply of chamomile tea as this is a non-caffeine variety and is very good for getting you into a relaxed state.

Here is an article also from Yoga Journal which gives you some tips on how to counter insomnia depending on the type of energy imbalance you may have.

Do you have your own way of getting into a relaxed state before sleeping? Do share these tips with me.

Namaste.