7 Yoga Poses for Better Sleep: Relaxing Bedtime Routine

In today’s fast-paced world, the art of restful sleep often feels difficult. Stress, screen time, and endless to-do lists steal away the calm our minds and bodies crave. Yet, there is a natural, soothing remedy that can guide us to a sanctuary of restful nights: yoga. This ancient practice is not just about flexibility or fitness; it’s a pathway to holistic well-being. By incorporating specific yoga poses for better sleep into your nightly routine, you can invite tranquility and improve the quality of your sleep.

Let’s journey together into the heart of yoga and explore how its gentle stretches and mindful breathing can transform your evenings.

The Connection Between Yoga and Sleep

Before we delve into specific yoga poses for better sleep, it’s essential to understand how yoga supports better sleep. At its core, yoga helps regulate the nervous system. By activating the parasympathetic nervous system (commonly known as the “rest and digest” mode), yoga calms the mind, lowers stress hormones like cortisol, and prepares the body for sleep.

Moreover, yoga encourages mindfulness, allowing us to release the mental clutter that often keeps us awake. Through intentional breathing and gentle movement, it fosters a sense of presence and relaxation—a perfect prelude to sleep.

Preparing for Your Yoga Practice

To maximize the benefits of yoga for sleep, consider these tips:

1. Create a Relaxing Space: Dim the lights, light a candle or use a diffuser with calming essential oils like lavender.
2. Dress Comfortably: Wear loose and comfortable clothes which helps you to move comfortably.
3. Use Props: Keep a yoga mat, blanket, or pillow nearby for added comfort.
4. Practice Consistency: Aim to practice your yoga routine 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime.

Yoga Poses for Better Sleep

 Let’s dive into the poses that can guide you step by step to achieve better sleep.

1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose is a comfortable position that gently stretches your lower back, shoulders, hips, and thighs. It encourages deep breathing and helps in relieving back pain.

How to Do It:

• Start with kneeling down on the floor, bring your toes to touch and keep your knees wide apart.
• Then sit back on your heels, extend your arms forward and lower your forehead to the mat as shown in the picture.
• Breathe in slowly and deeply and breathe out and repeat for 6-8 times.

Why It Helps:

This pose soothes the mind, reduces tension, and helps you let go of the day’s stress.

2. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

This special movement between Cat and Cow poses helps relieve tension in the spine and relaxes the nervous system.

How to Do It:

• Start with keeping your hands and knees in a table position.
• Keep your spine in a neutral position first.
• Inhale while bending your spine in arch position (Cow Pose), lift your head moving your ears away from your shoulders.
• Exhale while rounding your spine (Cat Pose), move your head and pelvis towards the floor.
• Repeat these movements for 5-10 breaths.
• Repeat these movements for 5-10 breaths.

Why It Helps:

The gentle spinal movement relieves stiffness and encourages a calming rhythm, aligning body and breath.

3. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

This forward fold helps release tension in the back, neck, and shoulders while promoting relaxation.

How to Do It:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend forward by hinging at your hips but not at your lower back and let your head and arms hang freely over your legs.
• Slightly bend your knees if needed and focus on your breath to lengthen your spine.

Why It Helps:

This pose calms the mind and improves circulation, preparing the body for rest.

4. Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

One of the most restorative poses, Legs-Up-The-Wall helps reduce swelling in the legs and calms the nervous system.

How to Do It:

• Sit facing your face against the wall, then lie down on your back.
• Raise your legs up against the wall.
• Position and adjust your hips so that they touch close to the wall.
• Keep your arms in resting position and breathe deeply.

Why It Helps:

This inversion soothes tired legs, reduces anxiety, and promotes deep relaxation.

5. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

A gentle twist helps release tension in the spine and detoxifies the internal organs.

How to Do It:

• Lie down on your back and raise your right knee towards your chest.
• Bend your right knee towards your left, but don’t move your shoulders.
• Be in this position and breathe for a few seconds.
• Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Why It Helps:

This pose relieves tension in spine, improves digestion, and creates a sense of relaxation.

6. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

This seated pose opens the hips and groin while encouraging a calm mind.

How to Do It:

• Sit down, hold your feet with your hands and join them together.
• This will let your knees fall outwards and form a diamond shape.
• Press your knees slowly and gently down towards the floor.
• Sit tall and take slow, deep breaths.

Why It Helps:

The pose releases tension in the hips and promotes relaxation through mindful breathing.

7. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

The ultimate relaxation pose, Savasana allows the body and mind to fully surrender.

How to Do It:

• Start with lying on your back, keep arms on your sides with palms facing up.
• Let your feet fall naturally outward.
• Close your eyes, relax and breathe slowly and deeply, relieving the remaining tension.

Why It Helps:

Savasana is the perfect way to end your yoga practice, signaling to your body that it’s time to rest.

Breathing Techniques to Enhance Sleep

In addition to the poses, incorporating mindful breathing can deepen your relaxation:

1. Breathing in 4-7-8 pattern: Breathing in this pattern lets you focus on your breath. This pattern involves Inhaling for 4 counts, holding for 7 counts, and exhaling for 8 counts.
2. Breathing with Alternate Nostril (Nadi Shodhana): Close your right nostril and inhale through the left nostril, then close the left nostril and exhale through the right. Repeat this for a few minutes.

These techniques slow the heart rate and calm the mind, creating the perfect pre-sleep state.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating these 7 yoga poses for better sleep in your bedtime routine and healthy habits routine would be a gift for yourself. Each pose, each breath, is a step toward reclaiming the peace and rest you deserve. Remember to not force your body to perfect each pose but listen to your body needs and honour it.

So, tonight, roll out your mat, light a candle, and let yoga guide you into a deep sleep. Sweet dreams await!