Tossing and turning through the night? Do you often wake up feeling more tired than when you went to sleep? Many people struggle with getting deep, restorative rest despite feeling exhausted all day. If stress, screen time, or an overactive mind is stealing your sleep, it’s time to try the best yoga before bed. Imagine winding down your day with calm stretches that quiet your thoughts, relax your muscles, and prepare your body for peaceful slumber.
This simple nightly habit became my secret weapon against restless nights. Just 10–15 minutes of soothing yoga before bed helped me fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed. And the best part? You don’t need any fancy gear or prior experience! Whether you’re new to the mat or a seasoned yogi, practising pre-bed yoga is a calming ritual that invites balance.
In this blog, we’ll explore five gentle poses of yoga before bed that work as pre-sleep yoga to improve your sleep cycle naturally. These relaxing movements, when done as before bedtime yoga, help release tension and guide your body into a restful state. Let’s walk through each pose so you can build a bedtime flow that helps you drift off with ease.
Table Of Contents
1. 5 Best Yoga Poses Before Bed
2. 8 Health Benefits Of Bedtime Yoga
3. Expert’s Advice
4. The Final Say
5. FAQs
6. References
5 Best Yoga Poses Before Bed
Consider trying these five poses of yoga for bedtime routine and enhancing your wellness:
1. Alternate-Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)
These effective breathing techniques are perfect for calming the nervous system and balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. It helps reduce stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of tranquility ideal for sleep. It gently influences the respiratory system and the subtle energy channels of the body.
Steps to perform this yoga before bed:
1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight. You can sit cross-legged or in a chair.
2. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
3. Release your right nostril and close your left nostril with your right ring finger. Exhale slowly and completely through your right nostril.
4. Inhale slowly and deeply through your right nostril.
5. Release your left nostril and close your right nostril with your right thumb. Exhale slowly and completely through your left nostril.
6. Continue alternating your breath in this pattern for 5-10 minutes. Finish with an exhale through the left nostril.
2. Child's Pose (Balasana)
A Child's pose is a gentle, resting posture that helps to release tension in the back, shoulders, and hips. It softly stretches the thighs, ankles, and feet while calming the brain and relieving stress and fatigue. These yoga positions for beginners encourage introspection and a sense of grounding before sleep.
Steps to perform this yoga before bed:
1. Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and your knees hip-width apart (or wider if more comfortable).
2. Fold forward, resting your torso between your thighs.
3. Extend your arms forward alongside your body with your palms facing down, or rest them alongside your torso with your palms facing up.
4. Rest your forehead on the floor. If your forehead doesn't reach, you can place a pillow or blanket underneath it for support.
5. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a few minutes, breathing deeply and gently.
3. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
This gentle spinal twist helps to release tension in the back, shoulders, and hips. It also gently massages the abdominal organs, aiding digestion and promoting relaxation. This pose encourages flexibility in the spine and a sense of release before sleep.
Steps to perform this yoga before bed:
1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended out to the sides in a "T" shape, palms facing up.
2. Bend both knees and bring your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
3. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, slowly lower both bent knees to one side (keeping your shoulders grounded on the floor).
4. Turn your head gently in the opposite direction of your knees.
5. Hold the twist for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply.
6. Inhale and bring your knees back to the centre and your head back to the neutral position.
7. Exhale and repeat the twist on the other side.
8. Perform the twist 2-3 times on each side.
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4. Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
This relaxing hip-opening pose gently stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees. It can also help to stimulate the abdominal organs and calm the nervous system. This pose promotes a sense of surrender and relaxation, making it ideal for preparing for sleep.
Steps to perform this yoga before bed:
1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open to the sides.
3. Rest your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up.
4. You can place pillows or blankets under your outer thighs or knees for support if needed.
5. Close your eyes and relax in the pose for 1-5 minutes, breathing gently.
5. Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani)
This gentle inversion helps to calm the nervous system, reduce swelling in the legs and feet, and promote relaxation. These poses of yoga for leg strength can also help to relieve mild backache and fatigue. This pose encourages blood flow towards the upper body and brain, promoting a sense of calm and ease.
Steps to perform this yoga before bed:
1. Sit with your right or left hip close to a wall.
2. Gently swing your legs up the wall as you lie back, so your legs are resting against the wall and your buttocks are as close to the wall as is comfortable.
3. Rest your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up.
4. Relax your shoulders and neck.
5. Stay in the pose for 5-15 minutes, breathing slowly and deeply.
6. To come out of the pose, gently bend your knees and slide your feet down the wall, then roll onto your side before sitting up slowly.
Also Read: 7 Best Yoga For Stress Management And Its Instant Benefits!
8 Health Benefits Of Bedtime Yoga
Let’s explore these benefits of yoga before bed that prepare your body and mind for restful sleep:
1. Encourages Relaxation & Improves Life Quality
Quietness and mindful breathing during poses like Child's Pose and Legs Up the Wall shift focus from daily stresses, allowing the mind to quieten for sleep. Consistent pre-bedtime yoga, incorporating poses like Reclined Twist, is linked to better sleep, increased happiness, improved stress management (through practices like Nadi Shodhana), and a greater sense of well-being.
2. Increases Mind & Body Awareness
Yoga engages both body and mind through focused attention on breath and sensation in yoga asanas after dinner like Cat-Cow and gentle forward folds, enhancing awareness of how thoughts and physical sensations affect relaxation. Increased mindfulness cultivated during practice can improve sleep quality, stress management, and overall well-being.
3. Reduces Anxiety & Worries
Yoga offers tools like deep diaphragmatic breathing in Savasana and meditation integrated after poses to lessen stress, worry, and anxiety, promoting relaxation and better sleep regardless of a stressful day. Specific breathing exercises like Ujjayi breath can aid relaxation before bed and help with waking up with racing thoughts.
4. Helps Build A Bedtime Routine
Establishing a consistent nighttime routine, including 10-20 minutes of relaxing yoga poses like Supported Bridge and steady deep breathing in each posture, signals the body that it's time to wind down for the night, making it easier to fall asleep. Going straight to bed after your yoga practice maximises the calming effects.
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5. Improves Circulation
Slow, deep stretching in poses like Supine Spinal Twist and focused breathing throughout your practice enhance circulation, which can lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, and restore energy levels. Healthy circulation also supports the immune system, detoxification facilitated by gentle twists, and cell regeneration, benefiting overall health and sleep.
6. Encourages Weight Loss
Regular practice of strengthening yoga postures earlier in the day can increase metabolism; ending your day with calming bedtime yoga and a longer Savasana can still support a healthy weight, which indirectly improves sleep by reducing issues like heartburn. So, try out the best yoga for weight loss before you go to bed today!
7. Soothes Sore Muscles & Joint Pain
Gentle, deep stretching in poses like Reclined Pigeon and Supported Child's Pose before bed helps ease muscular tension, joint discomfort, and nighttime aches, especially beneficial for those with physically demanding jobs or sedentary work. Pain relief facilitates falling asleep, and gentle poses can be done in bed for nighttime aches.
8. Reduces Insomnia
The focus on relaxation and awareness cultivated through a daily yoga routine, including calming bedtime practices, can foster restful habits, promoting the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep regularly. Deep sleep resulting from healthy circulation and regular sleep habits improves overall health and quality of life; consistent meditation practices alongside yoga can further alleviate insomnia.
Also Read: Yoga for Sinusitis: Simple Pranayama & Breathing Exercises
Expert’s Advice
As an expert, I believe that these asanas are the most helpful for promoting calm and deep sleep; I recommend holding them for several minutes while breathing slowly and deeply. Also, playing quiet music and utilising relaxing essential oils will help you relax. I suggest meditating before or after your bedtime yoga practice to promote restful sleep and peace of mind throughout the night. A regular yoga practice with a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet is the best way to reap all of these great benefits of yoga and improve your sleep quality.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
So, include a few gentle poses of yoga before bed for a soothing way to prepare your body and mind for sleep. By focusing on slow, mindful movements and breath, you can effectively release the day's tension, calm your nervous system, and quiet a racing mind. This simple practice can create a peaceful transition from the activity of the day to the stillness of night, ultimately paving the way for deeper, more restorative rest and a refreshed awakening.
FAQs
1. What are the best yoga stretches before bed?
Gentle stretches that relax your body are best. Think of slow twists while lying down, bringing your knees to your chest, or a supported child's pose. These help release tension without being too active.
2. How to begin yoga for sound sleep at night?
Start with just 5-10 minutes of easy poses in a calm, dimly lit room. Focus on your breath, making it slow and deep. Don't push yourself into difficult positions; gentle movement is key.
3. Can I rely on bedtime yoga for good sleep?
Bedtime yoga can definitely help you relax and prepare for sleep by calming your mind and body. However, if you have serious sleep problems, it's best to talk to a doctor as yoga might not be the only solution.
4. What are the considerations of bedtime yoga for sleep?
Listen to your body and don't do anything that causes pain. If a pose feels uncomfortable, adjust it or skip it. Also, remember that bedtime yoga might not fix all sleep issues, so if problems continue, seek medical advice.
5. What are the drawbacks of pre-bedtime yoga?
Generally, bedtime yoga is safe. However, some people might find certain poses uncomfortable at first. More importantly, it's not a cure for serious sleep disorders, so don't rely on it solely if you have persistent sleep problems; see a doctor.
6. Which nighttime yoga poses should you avoid before bedtime?
Avoid yoga poses that are very energetic, like strong backbends (like wheel pose), inversions (like headstand or shoulder stand), or fast-paced flows. These can actually wake you up and make it harder to fall asleep.
References
- https://www.yogabasics.com/connect/yoga-blog/evening-yoga-benefits/
- https://www.calm.com/blog/bedtime-yoga
- https://www.hdfcergo.com/health-insurance/wellness-corner/bedtime-yoga-benefits-and-poses
- https://www.arhantayoga.org/blog/yoga-poses-for-good-sleep/
- https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2023/november/the-magic-of-a-bedtime-yoga-routine
- https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/5782/5-yoga-poses-to-do-before-you-go-to-sleep/?srsltid=AfmBOooUfKmghqu8xF8BsEE1hHO3UmdNoUSmlpBlLgPn45JL73njVDbM
- https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/insomnia/15-poses-help-sleep-better/
- https://www.zinus.com/blogs/zinus/6-yoga-stretches-to-do-before-bed?srsltid=AfmBOopTSqQYhrK3G0NhoukqNGNhthdW-QCM1AttXOFhWMLp36NYtOkw
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