Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is a science backed relaxation technique that can help with stress, anxiety and sleep. Here’s how to get started with NSDR.
Stress, anxiety and burnout affect us all to varying degrees. The demands of modern life push us close to the edge continuously and cause distress that builds over weeks, months, or years, before we collapse.
This full-throttle way of living only leads to one thing (disease), so it’s essential to give ourselves the time, rest and nourishment we need to maintain our health and energy.
NSDR is one powerful technique that can be used to counteract the stress of life. It was popularised by the neuroscientist, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and promotes calm, awareness and deep relaxation.
What is Non-Sleep Deep Rest?
Non-Sleep Deep Rest, or NSDR, is a technique that slows your breathing, thoughts and brain wave frequency, inducing a state of deep relaxation. It is practiced lying down, often with the aid of a guided meditation (instructor or recording), and can help with stress, anxiety, sleep and mental clarity.
NSDR is based on the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, which is a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. It is a systematic practice where the instructor guides the students to deep relaxation.
Yoga Nidra is relaxation with awareness that has powerful restorative properties. In the words of Satyananda Saraswati, “Yoga Nidra is the yoga of aware sleep. In this lies the secret of self healing.”
The term NSDR was coined by neuroscientist and researcher Dr. Andrew Huberman, PhD, professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, as a way to make it more accessible and establish scientific integrity for this viable mode of rest and recovery.
According to Dr. Huberman, “Peer reviewed studies support that each of these has distinct benefits: Meditation improves focus, insight. Yoga Nidra/NSDR replenishes dopamine, reduces cortisol, reduces total sleep need. (Clinical) hypnosis can help solve specific problems.”
The benefits of Non-Sleep Deep Rest
Regular practice of NSDR comes with a number of benefits. According to Dr. Huberman, Non-sleep deep rest:
- Helps with memory retention
- Enhances rates of neuroplasticity, which can promote learning
- Relieves stress
- Improves cognitive function
- Improves sleep quality
- Enhances focus and mental clarity
- Potentially helps with pain management
You’ll notice close similarities with the benefits of meditation and other relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation and the art of letting go. NSDR is effectively an umbrella term for naps, visualisation, meditation and any other deep relaxation techniques that allow the body to heal and rejuvenate.
How to practice NSDR
Here are a few practice tips to help you get the most out of NSDR:
- Find a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of the practice
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows you to relax fully
- Lie down on a bed, futon (Japanese style), flat cushions, or yoga mat
- Use a light blanket to stay warm if you need to
- Follow a pre-recorded meditation (or live instructor) to guide your practice
- Start with just 10 minutes of NSDR and increase the duration when you’re ready
- If you fall asleep, that’s ok, you’ll get better at maintaining deep rest through practice
- Maintain a consistent daily practice
NSDR is a relatively simple technique to learn. You just follow the instructors voice and move systematically towards deep rest. When you reach sleepy awareness, the idea is to maintain consciousness.
The secret is consistency. Maintaining a daily practice of NSDR will produce the best results over the long-term and help you master the state of being there, but not quite being there.
NSDR guides
There are a number of NSDR guides available for free online. Try out a few until you find an instructor’s voice that you like. Some will suit you better than others so experiment until you have the best possible experience.
Here are a few that I like to use:
- 10 Minute NSDR with Dr. Andrew Huberman on YouTube.
- 15 Minute Yoga Nidra with Rosalie Yoga on YouTube.
- 20 Minute NSDR by Madefor on YouTube.
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