Qigong for Sleep Problems (2026)

Hi everyone!

I'm Andy Wright, your instructor on Udemy. I've been dedicated to teaching gentle, practical Qigong practices for many years. Born with cerebral palsy in 1961, I've transformed personal challenges into ways to help others improve their wellbeing through mindful movement, breathing, and relaxation.

In this free course, we start by exploring one of the most common sleep issues people face today: insomnia.

What is insomnia? Insomnia is a sleep disorder where you have persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep throughout the night, waking up too early, or not getting restorative sleep—even when you have the time and right environment for it. It often leads to daytime problems like fatigue, low energy, irritability, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, or feeling unrefreshed. Insomnia can be short-term (acute, lasting days or weeks, often triggered by stress, life changes, or temporary events) or long-term (chronic, persisting for a month or more). Common causes include stress, anxiety, poor sleep habits, medical conditions, medications, or even underlying issues like depression or pain.

Many people struggle with this, and it can create a frustrating cycle where worrying about not sleeping makes it even harder to rest.

How can Qigong help with insomnia? Qigong is a gentle, ancient Chinese practice combining slow, flowing movements, deep breathing, and focused awareness to cultivate calm, balance energy (Qi), and promote natural relaxation. Unlike intense exercise, it's low-impact and suitable for almost anyone, including those with mobility challenges.

Regular Qigong practice can help in several key ways:

• It calms the mind and reduces racing thoughts or anxiety that often keep people awake.

• The coordinated breathing and gentle movements activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" mode), lowering stress hormones like cortisol and easing the body into a state ready for sleep.

• It improves overall relaxation, shortens the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency), enhances sleep quality, and helps with staying asleep longer.

• Emerging research, including systematic reviews and randomised trials on forms like Baduanjin and other Health Qigong, shows promising benefits for better sleep quality in adults—with and without other health conditions—often through reducing fatigue, hyperarousal, and emotional tension.

Many practitioners report feeling more grounded, less wired at bedtime, and waking up more refreshed after consistent practice.

In this free course, you'll learn simple, beginner-friendly Qigong techniques designed specifically to support better sleep. Give them a try before bed or during the day to build calm and resilience.

Thank you so much for joining me here—I'm truly grateful you've chosen to explore this path to better rest. If you find these gentle practices helpful, please consider my other paid courses for deeper sequences, more advanced techniques, and comprehensive guidance to manage stress, anxiety, energy levels, and long-term wellbeing.

Wishing you peaceful nights and energised days ahead.

Warm regards, Andy Wright