Did you know that exercising before bed can improve your sleep quality? Adding some light exercise to your nightly routine can help you relax and prepare your body for sleep. One of the most popular options is yoga for sleep.
If you can’t fall asleep after lying in bed for several hours or have trouble relaxing at night, try these calming yoga poses before bed to get more sleep. The best part is that anyone can perform these basic yet effective poses.
For more sleep tips, check out expert-approved foods for sleep, how to stop those pesky midnight trips to the bathroom, and how to beat late-night anxiety with cognitive shuffle.
How yoga helps you sleep
According to yoga studio co-founder Chloe Carnahan, Skytin, yoga Improve your sleep quality in two ways. It relaxes the excited mind and calms the nervous system. “Yoga as a practice is focused on finding stillness of mind, which is often associated with the state of mind you are in when you have sleep problems (i.e. when your heart is racing). It’s the opposite,” Carnahan said.
While yoga includes elements of mindfulness, it is also a physical practice known for calming the body’s stress response and nervous system through breathing techniques and specific poses. “Physical exercises help calm the nervous system and switch from sympathetic to parasympathetic mode, which is great for rest and deep sleep,” Carnahan explains.
Which yoga class is best for sleep?
Not all yoga classes are equally gentle. Some classes, such as power yoga, are fast-paced and increase your heart rate. That’s good, but if you’re feeling stressed and want to relax before bed, you should focus on the opposite movement.
“I recommend slow, calming practices like yin or restorative yoga,” says Carnahan. “These classes typically have longer pauses, more props for support, less intense instruction from the teacher, and a quieter space.”
If the thought of anything resembling a workout or requiring a yoga mat makes you cringe, you can also try yoga nidra, which Carnahan recommends doing before bed. ”[Yoga nidra] It is similar to meditation, but is generally done lying down. It requires little physical effort. Instead, nidra practice helps you drop from the beta state (the waking state) to the theta state (which occurs when dreaming, deeply relaxing, or meditating). she says.
read more: The Best Mattress of 2024: Tested and Reviewed by Our Sleep Experts
3 yoga poses that are best for sleep
Next time you’re having trouble falling asleep or catching some quality Zs, try these poses at night to relax. If you prefer, you can do all of these in order, or choose a few that feel good at the moment.
“You can definitely do the poses yourself. You have someone to teach you the poses, so the sequence is good, but if you’re comfortable with the poses, doing a few before bed is the perfect recipe.” It’s possible,” Carnahan said.
supported child’s pose
“Forward bends have a calming effect on the body and, along with knee and hip creases, also stretch the lower back and lower back. Make sure your head is well supported. , add another pillow.’Make it comfortable,’ says Carnahan.
Here’s how, according to Carnahan:
- Start with your hands and knees touching the floor or bed.
- Keep your knees as wide as a yoga mat, your big toes behind you, and your hips behind your heels.
- Use a thick pillow or sofa cushion vertically and place it between your legs to stretch your torso forward. This works to provide gentle support from your lower abdomen to your head.
- Feel free to tilt your head to the side and breathe. If your neck is bent, turn your head halfway through and hold it there for 3-5 minutes.
Supports goddess pose
“This gentle hip opener is a great way to unwind and relax. Deep bends in your legs aid digestion, and letting your body settle heavily on the floor is a great way to unwind from the day’s fatigue. ,” Carnahan said. (The video above shows related exercises, not the ones described here.)
Here’s how, according to Carnahan:
- Get into a sitting position with your legs out in front of you.
- Place the soles of your feet together, open your knees like butterflies, and use two pillows (one under your thighs and one under your knees) for support.
- Lower your torso to the floor. You can also place a folded blanket under the back of your head.
- Place your hands on your stomach or spread your arms out to the sides. Cover your eyes if necessary and leave on for 3-5 minutes.
leg up the wall
“This pose is great in many ways, but when it comes to sleep, it’s great because it’s a gentle inversion. It exhausts your leg muscles for a few minutes and helps blood circulation, so you can relax your body as you fall asleep.” It’s less exciting. I love doing this, ‘sometimes just posing in bed and swinging my legs over the headboard,’ says Carnahan.
Here’s how, according to Carnahan:
- As the name suggests, this pose involves sitting close to a wall, keeping your torso close to the floor, and swinging your legs up toward the wall.
- It is recommended to move your seat closer to the wall, but if your legs or hips are tight, keep your knees slightly bent.
- I add a pillow under my hips to keep my pelvis slightly higher than my heart.
- Stay for about 3 to 5 minutes. If your feet are tingling, try putting your feet together, bending your knees, and flopping them open.
With these three yoga poses for sleep in your nighttime toolkit, you’ll have sweet dreams.
