Sleep Well With These 5 Bedtime Yoga Poses

A packed schedule leaves little time to wind down before bed. A chaotic bedtime routine can leave you feeling restless and lead to poor sleep, stress, and anxiety.

Fortunately, you don’t need to follow a laundry list of practices to help you relax and get a great shut-eye. Doing a few tried and true yoga poses before bed can switch your nervous system to a parasympathetic state and help you sleep better.

Some products, such as Somulin, the best sleep supplement, pair perfectly with yoga to help you achieve a more restful sleep.

What Is Bedtime Yoga?

“Yoga” refers to a set of physical, mental, and spiritual practices originating in ancient India. Yoga is meant to help an individual still the mind, strengthen the physical body, and experience self-realization.

You are most likely familiar with the Westernized version of yoga that heavily emphasizes physical practices, also called “asana.” You would perform asanas when attending a yoga class at a studio.

If you’re new to yoga or struggling with sleep, now is the perfect time to try it. Specific asanas, or yoga postures, can be beneficial for encouraging a deep state of relaxation and improving sleep quality.

Let’s explore the benefits of doing yoga before bed, along with some easy poses to improve the quality of your sleep and life.

Benefits of a Bedtime Yoga Routine

Here’s a breakdown of the most reported benefits of yoga before bed.

Alleviates Insomnia: Slow and controlled yoga movements calm the nervous system. A calm nervous system is vital to great sleep.

A study^[1] on older adults found that adding a daily yoga routine improved their sleep and overall quality of life. Another study^[2] on patients with chronic insomnia disorder found that individualized yoga practices improved their sleep quality, and reduced their anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

Weight Loss: Good quality sleep is essential for optimal metabolic function. Chronic sleep problems are associated with poor weight management and appetite control.^[3]

You’re one step closer to better metabolic and hormone balance by improving your sleep quality through yoga.

Aside from improving metabolic function, following a daily yoga practice is proven to encourage other healthy lifestyle changes that support weight loss.^[4] You may find that incorporating a bedtime yoga practice inspires you to eat healthier and engage in other enjoyable physical activities.

Improves Sleep Quality and Quality of Life: As mentioned in some of the studies above, yoga improves sleep quality. Research also shows that yoga can improve your overall quality of life.

A meta-analysis^[5] found that yoga was a supportive intervention for improving health-related quality of life and reducing fatigue, sleep disturbance, and mental health symptoms in breast cancer patients.

Yoga’s positive effects on quality of life aren’t exclusive to those recovering from chronic diseases. It can benefit everybody. Research^[6] shows that, in general, incorporating yoga can enhance muscular strength, promote flexibility, improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, and reduce stress, anxiety, and chronic pain.

Promotes Relaxation: Doing yoga before bed supports better sleep as it promotes relaxation. Practicing yoga encourages slow breathing and brings awareness to different body parts to relieve tension.

It can be hard to relax when you are in pain. A common bedtime complaint is neck pain. In addition to yoga poses for better sleep, we’ll drop some good yoga poses for neck pain below.

How To Create A Bedtime Yoga Routine?

To create a bedtime yoga routine, reflect on your body’s needs and what is attainable. You can start by doing five poses for one minute each. This means your bedtime yoga routine could take as little as five minutes.

If your schedule allows for more flexibility, you can perform poses longer to give your body extra time to relax and slip into a parasympathetic state.

If chronic pain is preventing you from getting good sleep, you can incorporate certain yoga poses for neck pain. Good yoga poses for neck pain include:

• Cat and cow pose (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana)
• Puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)
• Child’s pose (Balasana)
• Thread the needle pose (Urdhva Mukha Pasasana)
• Ear-to-shoulder pose (Sukhasana)

Yoga Poses To Try

Here are five yoga poses that will help you wind down before you slip under the covers. If you have questions or concerns about performing these postures, we recommend consulting with your doctor or a healthcare professional.

Legs-Up-The-Wall

• Start sitting with your right or left side up against a wall.
• Lay down on your back, then turn your body and swing your legs straight up the wall, hip distance apart.
• Adjust your tailbone and hips as necessary so they are as flush against the wall as possible.
• Allow your arms to rest in a comfortable position alongside you.
• Close your eyes and relax in this posture for as long as it feels good. You can start with one minute or stay as long as five minutes.

This pose, also known as Viparita Karani, helps the blood return to your core and shift your body into a parasympathetic state. It also helps to relieve inflammation and fluid retention after standing on your feet all day.

Reclined Butterfly

• Start by lying on your back.
• Bring your feet up closer to your pelvis and press the soles of your feet together.
• Allow your knees to fall open to the side so your legs appear as if they are in the shape of butterfly wings.
• Place your hands on your lower abdomen or rest them comfortably at your sides.
• You can utilize yoga props, such as bolsters or blocks, underneath your knees for extra support.
• Rest in this posture for as long as it feels good to you. You can start with one minute or stay as long as five minutes.

Reclined butterfly, or Supta Baddha Konasana, helps relieve tension in the hips, hamstrings, and groin. This pose is especially helpful for those sitting at a desk all day and needing to relieve tension before climbing into bed.

Child’s Pose

• Start by kneeling and sitting on top of your feet.
• Stretch your arms forward as you sink your hips back towards your heels.
• Allow your chest to rest on top of your thighs.
• Depending on your comfort level, you can take your knees as wide or narrow as you desire.
• Rest your forehead on the mat and stay in this pose as long as it feels good. You can start with one minute or stay as long as five minutes.

Child’s pose, or Balasana, promotes relaxation and encourages mindful breathing. It also stretches your hips and back, ensuring your body is free of tension as you prepare for bed.

Happy Baby

• Start by lying on your back.
• Bring your knees towards your chest, then face your heels towards the sky.
• Grab the outside of your feet or your big toes.
• Spread your knees apart.
• If you feel comfortable, you can rock side to side.
• Rest in this position for as long as it feels good to you. You can start with one minute or stay as long as five minutes.

Happy Baby, or Ananda Balasana, stretches the hips, hamstrings, and lower back. It helps relieve tension and anxiety while slowing your heart rate to prepare for deep sleep.

Corpse Pose

• Start by lying on your back.
• Shift your legs to be hip-distance apart and let your feet completely relax and fall to the sides.
• Rest your arms gently at your sides.
• Allow your body to sink heavily into the floor.
• Relax in this position with your eyes closed for as long as it feels good. You can start with one minute or stay as long as ten minutes.

Corpse pose, or Savasana, is the easiest yoga pose to perform. It serves as a chance for your body to release any tension and slow its breath rate. Slowing your breath rate and lowering your blood pressure prepares your body for deep rest.

Yoga Meditation for Sleep

In addition to the yoga postures mentioned above, you can try a yoga meditation called Yoga Nidra to promote restful sleep. Yoga Nidra is typically a guided meditation that brings awareness to each body part, allowing them to fully relax.

During this yoga meditation, you experience “yogic sleep,” a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Yoga Nidra activates delta brainwaves and promotes deep relaxation.

In addition to promoting deep rest, research^[7] shows that yoga meditation is associated with other positive physiological changes, such as a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression and increased dopamine production and cerebral blood flow.

You can find Yoga Nidra meditations on YouTube or cellphone apps. Yoga meditations, such as Yoga Nidra, vary in length, making it easy to find one that fits your schedule and bedtime routine.

Tips and Tricks

To get the most out of bedtime yoga, set an attainable amount of time aside for your bedtime routine that you know you’ll stick to. It can be as little as five or ten minutes.

Set up an optimal sleep environment by turning off screens, dimming the lights, and adjusting the temperature of your room to be cooler. To enhance relaxation, you can even diffuse essential oils like lavender, bergamot, or clary sage.

Dietary supplements can offer support for relaxation and sleep. Somulin, one of the best sleep supplements, is a great option. It features natural ingredients like melatonin, valerian root, hops, lemon balm, lavender, and passion flower that help you fall asleep faster while improving the quality of your rest.

We think Somulin is the best sleep supplement because, unlike other products, it produces powerful results and doesn’t leave you groggy in the morning.

Somulin could be the perfect pairing for your bedtime yoga practice.

FAQs:

Read the sections below to find answers to the most commonly asked questions about bedtime yoga.

Is It Good to Do Yoga Before Bed?

Doing yoga before bed can help shift your body out of a sympathetic state and prepare you for deep rest. Specific postures promote relaxation and reduce your blood pressure and heart rate.

Which Yoga Poses Help You Fall Asleep Fast?

The best yoga poses to help you fall asleep fast include Legs-Up-The-Wall, Reclined Butterfly, Child’s Pose, Happy Baby, and Corpse Pose.

In addition to trying these poses, you can consider Yoga Nidra, a type of yoga meditation. Together, yoga poses and yoga meditation can help you relax and relieve tension.

Considering chronic pain can keep you from achieving deep sleep, trying yoga poses for neck pain can be helpful. You can revisit the names of these poses under the “How to Create a Bedtime Yoga Routine” section.

Which Pranayama Is Good For Sleep?

Pranayama refers to yogic breathing practices. Specific breathing techniques, such as Nadhi Shodhana and Bhramari Pranayama, can promote restful sleep.

Nadhi Shodhana is alternate nostril breathing. To perform Nadhi Shodhana, follow these steps:

• Start in a seated position.
• Take a deep inhale and exhale.
• After your exhale, rest your left hand in your lap.
• Using your right hand, take your thumb and close off your right nostril.
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Still using your right hand, after your inhale, close off your left nostril using your ring finger.
• Exhale through your right nostril.
• Inhale back through your right nostril.
• Still using your right hand, close your right nostril with your thumb.
• Exhale through your left nostril.

The above steps indicate one full round of alternate nostril breathing. You can repeat this process for as long as it feels good. You can start with one minute or perform it for as long as five minutes.

Bhramari Pranayama is also known as bee breath. Research^[8] shows this breath practice is effective for reducing anxiety and depression and improving sleep quality. To perform bee breath, follow these steps:

• Start in a seated position
• Plug your ears with your thumbs.
• Rest your other fingers over your eyes and face.
• Keep your mouth closed.
• Inhale through your nose.
• As you exhale, create a humming sound using the back of your throat.

The above steps indicate one complete repetition of Bhramari Pranayama. You can repeat this breath practice up to three or five times.

How Can I Train My Brain To Sleep?

Training your brain to sleep starts with a consistent bedtime routine. Start by dedicating as little as five minutes a night to practicing yoga before bed.

You can also try yoga meditation, such as Yoga Nidra. Together, yoga and meditation signal to your brain that it’s time to slip into a parasympathetic state and enter a restful sleep.

Dietary supplements, such as Somulin, the best sleep supplement, can also improve sleep quality and prepare your body for rest. Somulin’s ingredients support your circadian rhythm and sleep cycles.

Give your body and mind a few weeks to adjust to your new bedtime routine.

Takeaway

Sleeping well doesn’t have to involve an hour-long bedtime routine. You can support your sleep by practicing simple yoga poses before bed.

Some of the most relaxing and rejuvenating yoga poses include Legs-Up-The-Wall, Reclined Butterfly, Child’s Pose, Happy Baby, and Corpse Pose. For detailed instructions for each pose, revisit the “Yoga Poses to Try” section.

Other interventions, such as yoga meditation, can be helpful. Yoga Nidra promotes profound relaxation.

Consider complementing your bedtime yoga routine with Somulin, the best sleep supplement. Its users consistently report more restful sleep, improved sleep latency, and a significant reduction in stress and anxiety.

Incorporating one or all of these tools can help you tackle the root causes of poor sleep and rebalance your sleep-wake cycle.

If you have a history of injury or a pre-existing medical condition, we suggest consulting with your doctor or a healthcare professional first before trying any of these interventions.

References

1] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667430/
2] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9012014/
3] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929498/
4] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995338/
5] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6465041/
6] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/
7] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9033521/
8] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9167919/