This article originally appeared in Well+Good.
With so much happening in the world—a pandemic, the climate crisis, widespread inequality, and hate crimes, to name a few—it's really not surprising if spiraling thoughts often occupy your headspace. But while unsurprising, these bouts of overwhelm don't do your mind or body any favors—especially considering that they can prevent us from getting the quality shut eye we so badly need in order to maintain optimum health. Thankfully, strategies like breathwork for sleep can help put the swirling thoughts in your mind to sleep so you can doze off peacefully.
Breathwork for sleep is a tip that yoga nida practitioner Tracee Stanley highlights during a recent episode of Glowing Live With Latham on Well+Good's IGTV. While practicing breathwork, she says, the mind is centered and connected—and that's important. "The breath is a direct reflection of the quality of the mind," Stanley says. "So if the mind is busy and the mind is active, your breath is going to be shaky—it's going to feel like it has hitches and breaks in it." The effect of that feeling? A lack of mental calm that supports spiraling thoughts to root…and potentially compromise your sleep.