“A great night’s sleep every Wednesday” with Pregnancy Yoga

The most common comment I hear from my pregnant women is what a satisfying sleep they enjoy following the Pregnancy Yoga class

Tamara heads for her mat saying, “I’m looking forward to a good sleep tonight”,

and Maria agrees, ‘ahhhh the after-Yoga sleep’

Having specialised in teaching Birthlight Pregnancy Yoga classes for the past 25 years, following on the back of an enjoyable time studying and working as a Yoga Therapist at the Yoga Biomedical Trust (1), I know only too well that some Yoga claims have little substance, but are proclaimed with the best of intentions (2). That is not to say that Yoga doesn’t have a whole wealth of benefits, and over the past 15 years there has developed a growing body of evidence-based research to support the value of the practice. For example, probably the largest body of research supports how Yoga is proven to increase mobility and lessen pain for lower back pain sufferers (2)

To back up the ‘good night’s sleep claim’, a study in 2021 concluded that, ‘Prenatal Yoga exercises improve the sleep quality of third-trimester pregnant women.’ (3)

A culmination of a variety of factors contribute to a good night’s rest, incorporating the benefits of a decent amount of deep sleep and REM sleep (3).