5 Restorative Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep Like a Baby

A restful night's sleep is essential for good health, but many people struggle with insomnia or have trouble winding down before bed. One way to improve your sleep is by incorporating calming yoga poses into your nightly routine. Yoga is well-known for its ability to reduce stress, enhance relaxation, and prepare the body for a peaceful night's rest. In this article, we'll explore five restorative yoga poses that can help promote deep, restful sleep.

1. Child's Pose (Balasana)

Child's Pose is one of the most soothing and restful poses in yoga, making it an ideal choice before bedtime. This gentle stretch targets the hips, thighs, and ankles, helping to release tension and calm the nervous system. It also encourages deep breathing, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system and prepares the body for rest.

How to do it:

• Begin on your hands and knees.

• Bring your big toes together and spread your knees apart.

• Sit back on your heels and extend your arms forward, lowering your chest toward the ground.

• Relax your forehead on the floor and take slow, deep breaths.

Benefits: Calms the mind, releases tension in the back and neck, and promotes deep relaxation.

2. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

This gentle inversion is a fantastic way to reverse the effects of gravity and help calm your nervous system. Legs Up the Wall helps increase circulation, reduces swelling in the legs and feet, and promotes a sense of relaxation. It also allows you to let go of the tension built up throughout the day, making it easier to fall asleep.

How to do it:

• Sit next to a wall with one hip against it.

• Lie back and swing your legs up the wall, keeping them straight.

• Rest your arms at your sides or place them on your belly.

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath, holding the pose for 5-15 minutes.

Benefits: Reduces stress, eases lower back discomfort, and promotes a peaceful mind.

3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Reclining Bound Angle Pose is a great way to stretch the inner thighs and open up the hips. This restorative pose helps release tension in the pelvic region and can alleviate discomfort caused by stress. It also encourages relaxation and a sense of grounding, which can make it easier to drift off to sleep.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together.

• Allow your knees to fall out to the sides.

• Place your arms by your sides or on your belly.

• Close your eyes and focus on slow, deep breathing.

Benefits: Opens the hips, calms the mind, and prepares the body for restful sleep.

4. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

While Cat-Cow is often used as a warm-up in yoga, it can also be an excellent choice for calming the body before bed. The flow between arching and rounding the back helps release tension in the spine, shoulders, and neck. This pose also encourages mindful breathing, which helps slow down your thoughts and prepare for sleep.

How to do it:

• Start on all fours, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

• Inhale and arch your back, dropping your belly toward the floor (Cow Pose).

• Exhale and round your back, bringing your chin to your chest (Cat Pose).

• Continue flowing between these two movements for several rounds.

Benefits: Relieves tension in the back and neck, calms the mind, and encourages mindful breathing.

5. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Savasana is the ultimate relaxation pose in yoga, allowing the body to fully relax and integrate the benefits of the practice. It’s a perfect pose to do right before bed, as it promotes deep relaxation and helps you release any lingering stress or tension.

How to do it:

• Lie flat on your back with your legs extended and arms by your sides.

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath, letting go of any thoughts.

• Allow your body to sink into the floor, releasing all tension.

• Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes, or longer if desired.

Benefits: Calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and promotes deep relaxation.

Recommended Yoga Resources for Sleep

To further enhance your bedtime yoga routine, here are 10 reputable companies and websites that offer products, videos, and guidance for improving your sleep through yoga:

1 Yoga with Adriene Yoga with Adriene offers a variety of free yoga videos, including bedtime routines designed to promote better sleep. Visit Yoga with Adriene

2 Calm Calm provides guided meditations and sleep stories that can complement your yoga practice and promote relaxation before bed. Visit Calm

3 Alo Yoga Alo Yoga offers comfortable and stylish yoga apparel, making it easier to relax into your bedtime practice. Visit Alo Yoga

4 Gaiam Gaiam is known for high-quality yoga mats and accessories that are perfect for creating a peaceful yoga environment. Visit Gaiam

5 Headspace Headspace offers meditation and sleep-focused mindfulness exercises, which pair perfectly with yoga practices to help you wind down. Visit Headspace

6 DoYogaWithMe This platform offers free and paid yoga classes, including evening routines designed to help with sleep and relaxation. Visit DoYogaWithMe

7 Manduka Manduka provides high-quality yoga mats and props to make your nighttime yoga practice more comfortable and enjoyable. Visit Manduka

8 Sleep.org Sleep.org is a resource for improving sleep hygiene, and it includes tips and advice on how yoga can help with sleep. Visit Sleep.org

9 Daily Yoga Daily Yoga offers a variety of online yoga programs, including bedtime sequences to help you sleep better. Visit Daily Yoga

10 The Mindful Movement The Mindful Movement offers guided meditations and gentle yoga videos, including bedtime routines for sleep and relaxation. Visit The Mindful Movement

Comparison Table of Yoga Resources for Sleep

<table border="1" style="width:100%; background-color:#f9f9f9;">

  <tr style="background-color:#d3d3d3;">

    <th>Brand</th>

    <th>Product/Service</th>

    <th>Key Features</th>

    <th>Price Range</th>

    <th>Website</th>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Yoga with Adriene</td>

    <td>Free Yoga Videos</td>

    <td>Bedtime Yoga, Gentle Routines</td>

    <td>Free</td>

    <td><a href="https://www.yogawithadriene.com">Visit Yoga with Adriene</a></td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Calm</td>

    <td>Meditation and Sleep Stories</td>

    <td>Guided Meditations, Sleep Stories</td>

    <td>$$$</td>

    <td><a href="https://www.calm.com">Visit Calm</a></td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Alo Yoga</td>

    <td>Yoga Apparel</td>

    <td>Comfortable, Stylish</td>

    <td>$$$</td>

    <td><a href="https://www.aloyoga.com">Visit Alo Yoga</a></td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Gaiam</td>

    <td>Yoga Mats & Accessories</td>

    <td>High-Quality, Comfortable</td>

    <td>$$</td>

    <td><a href="https://www.gaiam.com">Visit Gaiam</a></td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Headspace</td>

    <td>Meditation & Mindfulness</td>

    <td>Sleep-Focused Mindfulness, Guided Meditations</td>

    <td>$$$</td>

    <td><a href="https://www.headspace.com">Visit Headspace</a></td>

  </tr>

</table>

Conclusion

Incorporating these five yoga poses into your bedtime routine can help you wind down, relax, and improve your overall sleep quality. Whether you are struggling with insomnia, anxiety, or simply want to enhance your sleep experience, these restorative poses can provide the calming effects you need to prepare for a peaceful night’s rest. With the help of yoga and the right resources, you can create a nighttime ritual that promotes deep relaxation and ensures that you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.