r/yoga

When I do yoga everyday I feel sleepy


This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.

The Question

The title. I absolutely love it but if I do 1h a day, or even 45 minutes, then I find myself fighting the sleepiness most of the day. Does anyone have the same experience? Edit: i feel sleepy for most of the day, not just after the practice. And that's noticeably only when I do yoga everyday. submitted by /u/UnshakableProtocol

— via r/yoga

Our Response

Yeah. This happens.

You're doing something intense. Your nervous system is recalibrating.

First question: Are you eating enough?

Daily practice burns fuel. If you're running a deficit, you'll be tired. Not just sore-tired. Foggy-tired.

Second: How's your sleep?

Practice will expose bad sleep habits fast. You might need more than you think.

Third: Are you breathing, or are you holding?

If you're muscling through poses on locked breath, you're triggering stress response. That'll drain you.

And last thing—this might just be a phase.

When you start practicing daily, your body has to adapt. That can take weeks. Sometimes months.

So: Eat more. Sleep more. Breathe more.

And if it doesn't shift in a month, back off the frequency. Four days a week is still practice.

We've got a study guide on building a sustainable practice routine. Check that out.

But don't override the signal. Tired means something.

Listen to it.

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