Four Yoga Poses You Should Do Before Bed

Of the many benefits practicing yoga offers, helping you get deeper, more meaningful rest every night ranks near the top. So much of your quality of life revolves around whether you’ve got the energy to do the things you need to do and enjoy the things you love to do. And poor sleep makes having that energy essentially impossible.

Fortunately, yoga has a lot to offer when it comes to calming the body down and preparing for deep sleep. 

We know some of the best yoga poses you can incorporate into your bedtime exercise routine to get the deep, restful sleep you need. We’ve listed four of them below, along with some useful details about each one. Practice them nightly, and you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the day.

1. Perfect Pose (Siddhasana)

Oftentimes, the best yoga poses for helping you to get good sleep are the more relaxing and meditative ones. By focusing on breathing, letting go of stressful thoughts, and allowing your body to release all the day’s tension, you ready yourself for a deep, meaningful night’s rest.

To do Perfect Pose, simply sit upright with your eyes closed, preferably in lower lighting, as it’s more conducive to relaxation. Focus on slow and gentle breathing and allow your body to relax, avoiding the urge to maintain a rigid posture. After a short time, you should be far closer to drifting off to sleep than when you began.

2. Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

You can either sit on a yoga mat or your mattress for this pose. Sit in a Butterfly Pose with the bottoms of your feet pressed against one another.

With your legs still in position, lay your upper body down on the ground or mattress with your hands in whatever relaxed position is most comfortable for you. Breathe slowly and gently for a count of 10-20, or even longer if you like.  

3. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose is another gentle and relaxing stretch that can help to release tension in several parts of the body, including your back, thighs, hips, and ankles.

You’re going to start on your hands and knees, with your knees spread wide and feet touching. Bring your body down so that your upper body is resting on your thighs, your head is on the floor, and your arms are stretched out in front of you.

Make sure to relax your body as much as possible. Search around for the areas still holding tension and allow them to release that tension. Make sure to focus on maintaining a steady, gentle breathing pattern.

4. Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)

This is a fairly easy pose that can provide full-body relaxation. Start by lying on your back and bringing your knees into your belly. Grab the outsides of your feet, bring your knees to the outside of your upper body, and then raise them towards your shoulders. Keep your ankles directly in line with your knees and push your feet up into your hands.