What is Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) and How Does It Work?

Question

I’m interested in Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). What is it and how is it different from Yoga Nidra?

Answer 1

Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) is the technique which was devised for taking away all the myths away from the practice of yoga nidra and showing a way of deep relaxation in a more systematic and scientific manner. It includes lying supine for a period ranging from 10 to 30 minutes engaging in pursed lip breathing to lower the heart rate and doing a body scan while remaining alert and awake. NSDR’s goal is to reduce sympathetic autonomic arousal and put the brain and body into a supine state. It serves the purpose of rejuvenating and re-energizing the mind and body and also adapting the relaxation response on one’s own without concentration which is the most important in other forms of meditation.

Comments

Fascinating! My husband has been struggling with terrible insomnia. This NSDR (yoga nidra) practice may really help. And help ME, too!

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Awesome content... I have both of Andrew's NSDR content on my restful sleep playlist. I use them to just relax at times, but mostly to wind down before my peaceful sleep music. They truly help, I utilize many of his various protocols. The sleep series he mentioned with Matthew Walker was excellent. Thank you for sharing

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You can call this “protocol” how ever you want. This is what I call a “siesta” and it was invented in Spain hundreds of years ago.

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They are creating a big science  out of just lying down and having a rest!!!

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He mentions "scripts".  Anyone have access to those used or some really good ones?  How do scripts compare to binary beats (or instrumental music) or no sound at all?  What is best?

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His description of yoga nidra sounds like a common form of Zen meditation.  Which leads me to think that he is not really aware of different types of meditation.  I remember seeing one of his podcasts where he talked about heart rate variability and Non-Sleep Deep Rest and referenced a paper, which he was not an author of.  It didn't show great benefits over other forms of relaxation/meditation but was easy to do and brief.  Which was great.  My point, that he  seems only marginally aware of different forms of meditation and it is unclear as to why he now says he developed NSDR when he didn't mention this previously.  It seems very confusing to me.  Oh,  and dopamine is involved in loads of things in the brain - its not necessarily a big deal.

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I still get AH content as suggestions, but find it hard to listen to him after knowing he abused several women for many years.. I want the science, but really try to get it elsewhere bc I don't trust him anymore. I find similar content, very well explained, with Ronda Patrick, Peter Attia, Rich Roll, DOAC, Dr Amen, Zoe, etc. The intense mktg is also too much.. I clicked this content bc I know yoga nidra and believe we should keep this name as reference, and not rebrand it, as the technique itself is a door to further breathwork.