“Through Somatic Movement Education you willexperience relief of stress and anxiety as you improve breathing, sleep” (Viccars,2016) The benefits of somatic movements with sleep are a promising correlationto indicate that the movements and increase of endorphins do in fact helppromote sleep stages across all parts of the cycleSomaticmovement is also another way of relaxing and releasing tension to aid sleep,the slow enhanced movements will reiterate to the nervous system to relax themore constricting muscle structure in turn the benefits include increased painrelief in repeatedly strained areas and release endorphins to promote stressrelief,Intrigued bythe studies and research I have completed I attempted to do complete a two weektrail of the breathing training, I decided to repeat the technique three timesper day and each experience I had to train for ten minutes I noted all my findingsinto a journal to see the benefits across the time period I had the times eachday for which I would have a description of feelings during and after and anyfindings which I felt displayed a drowsy or sleepy state inducing feeling, withina few days of my experiment I started to notice the benefits not only to mysleep pattern but also a relaxation within myself, during each exercise I feela sense of being connected with my core self and yet having a sense ofdisconnection that enables me to compose myself. However, over the course ofthe experiment I found that it did promote the aid of falling to sleep howeverkeeping myself in a sleep state or deep sleep was still not improved but if I carriedthis experiment on further and for a longer period of time the findings wouldbe more conclusive and may be different.Clients of this technique have found great relief andbenefits which are highly noted, one client described the procedure as “Breathworkfor me, has helped me to release some of the layers of sadness, remorse, regretetc.” (Barone, No Date).

This short revelation shows a small insight to themajor benefits that the technique provides, to be able to strip it all back toraw central emotions such as “Sadness” and “Regret” . Shows how effective thiswhole process can be to grow a sense of self-healing capabilities that could beapplied to the health problems such as Insomnia or Anxiety. This technique is accessibleto all with the capabilities of exercise due to it being breathing control hasno parameters for where It can be done enabling to aid at any required point intime and by anyone.Somatic Breath Therapy “is a highlysophisticated form of conscious breathing that teaches you how to breathefully, getting more oxygen to your brain” (Youst, No Date) Youst also describessomatic breath therapy to help “relax and sleep better” and “reduce stress,anxiety, pain and panic”. Youst’s outline of the technique is to first get intoa suitable position which ensures breath is more purposeful and focused with acomfortable manner to promote relaxation and a calming nature ensuring thatbreaths are in short succession from each other but not frantic in nature thisthen can “release physical tension and surface levels of stress” (Youst, NoDate). This technique trains you to use breathing “diaphramatically” (Youst, NoDate). This can train your breathing pattern to ease your respiratory patternin turn this type of breathing can “release deeper emotional and mentalpatterns” (Youst. No Date).

Slowly whilst this pattern is followed and becomesmore natural and has a safe environment surrounding each breath “thissomatically-guided way” (Youst, No Date). Aids your mind and self-learn toselfheal which repels “unhealthy attitudes and outlooks on life” (Youst, NoDate).Breathing techniques have been proved to help reduce stressand anxiety and are advertised on many medical websites including the NHSwebsite.  “This calming breathingtechnique for stress, anxiety and panic takes just a few minutes and can bedone anywhere.” (NHS, 2015) So if all these factors can prevent a person fromsleeping in turn you could use breathing techniques to combat and reduce themwhich in turn can help alleviate some causes and aid sleep instead of allowingthem to impede it.There are many variables that could prevent a person fromfalling asleep or staying asleep all night. Stress, depression and anxiety are some of more common variable’s thatcan lead to insomnia.

This can then turn into a vicious cycle as having sleepshortened or taken away can make stress, depression and anxiety considerablyworse. Mineral deficiencies can impact health in a major way especially core mineralssuch as Calcium and Magnesium, the lack of Magnesium can seriously impact sleeppatterns and Insomnia as typically “magnesium also helps trigger a sequence of events that begin a “wind down” of sorts inpreparation for the coming hours of rejuvenating sleep” (Ashley, 2013) withoutthis process magnesium induces a lack of vital chemicals that aid sleep andself-healing, typically patients with sleep deficiencies or Insomnia will seekaid from Magnesium or Calcium tablets to help aid sleep. The effectiveness ofMagnesium indicate that whilst effective for most of the patients this methoddoes have some area of non-effect for patients.  Prescribed medication can also be given to aid sleepcurrently in circulation are three main prescribed tablets, Eszopiclone,Zaleplon, Zolpidem. Out of all three prescribed medications Eszopiclone is theonly one of them “approved for longer term use” (Consumer Reports, 2017). Thisis due to the side affects being less server in a brief period, however theresult is the same in all cases which is a chance of increased anxiety andparanoia which in turn can then fuel the insomnia to start progressing to afurther state in turn causing worse insomnia.There are many different aids and supports available to helpa sufferer of lack of sleep or insomnia. From research a large amount of theseaids is something you can add to the body for example tablets or medicines.

Currentlyavailable on general sale to the public there are multiple aids examples ofsome are Benylin and Nytol, most sleeping aids that can be gained without aprescription contain the chemical compound Diphenhydramine which is in aningredient originally in antihistamines however it has a dual property whichaffects the human state to induce drowsiness however as each aid has adifferent volume of Diphenhydramine it is hard to truly test side affects ortime periods from use of product to the start of a drowsy sleep state. (Mind,2017) When you sleep thisis an opportunity for your body to repair and prepare itself ready for the newday ahead. While you are asleep the chemical balance in your brain is restoredand gives a chance for the brain to retain memories. However, the impact lackof sleep has on the body can be extremely damaging to the physically body andthe mental state of a person for example it can cause mood changes, weightissues, trouble concentrating and fatigue. In more serious cases the effectscould be life changing for example, depression, anxiety, paranoia, high bloodpressure, low immune system, risk of heart disease and so many more.  Insomnia is classed differently to lack ofsleep as it is classed as a sleep disorder as is causes the person to be unableto sleep or fall asleep in this case Somatics could be a viable aid to attempta sleep state through the calming nature which helps slow yourself down whichin turn will help you disconnect with the surroundings and attempt to helppromote a sleep state. This essay will be investigating and exploring somaticpractice and its links and correlations with sleep.

 Sleep is an essential necessity to the humanbody to allow us to function and stay healthy. Lack of sleep can cause largeproblems to the health and mental state of a subject. There are many differentsolutions that claim they can fix sleep problems but how can we get ourselvesto fall asleep naturally without aid or adding anything to the body? Somaticsand relaxation techniques could be a natural way to promote our bodily systemto induce a state of sleep by reducing psychic anxiety that is related to thecauses of insomnia, by expanding our lungs filling our body with oxygen by deepbreathing, releasing the muscles to relax with gentle movement and many othermethods and aids which this essay will explore.