Do you often suffer from insomnia? Is your sleep poor, intermittent, and often waking up in the middle of the night? You should consider practicing yoga before bed to improve your brain and body for a better quality of life.
Why is yoga good before bed?
Practicing yoga before bed is a healthy habit that brings many benefits to your health and spirit. If you maintain it for 10 minutes a day, it will help you have a better quality of life, eliminate insomnia, increase awareness of mind and body, synchronize your breathing and sleep better.
Some benefits of practicing yoga before bed include:
Short-term insomnia treatment: Studies show that practicing gentle yoga movements, not too strong, can improve sleep, shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce the number of times you wake up at night.
Promotes relaxation: If your workday is filled with stress, fatigue, and anxiety, practicing yoga helps you turn that stress into calmness and relaxation. This allows your mind to calm down enough to fall asleep.
Improves quality of life: People who sleep deeply and soundly tend to have higher levels of happiness than those who sleep less. The stress of sleep makes you feel less healthy and weaker. So, yoga before bed helps you become healthier.
Increased Mind Awareness: Practicing yoga before bed can increase awareness of your thoughts and physical sensations. Practicing yoga impacts your ability to relax, promotes peace of mind, promotes happiness, and other aspects of your life.
Series of 10 yoga exercises before bed with the most positive effects
There are many different exercises that help you achieve deep sleep and a more refreshed mind. The series of 10 yoga before bed includes: Baby pose, Cat-Cow, Downward Dog, Standing Forward Bend, Squat, Pigeon, Hands-Bound, Head-to-Knee, Leaning-Back Twist, and Corpse Pose. Refer to the detailed exercises below and save them to your computer for every day:
1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
The first exercise in the bedtime yoga sequence is the child’s pose. It’s simple and gentle. Follow these instructions:
- Place your hands and knees on the mat. Spread your knees wide and bring your big toes together.
- Bring hips toward heels and rest forehead on a block, folded blanket, or mat.
- Move your hands forward and place your forearms on the mat. Close your eyes.
- Allow yourself to feel the sensations in your body as you settle into the Child’s Pose.
- Hold the position for 5-10 deep breaths.
2. Cat Cow (Marjaryasana – Bitilasana)
The second yoga sequence before bed is the cat-cow pose. Make the following moves:
- Return to hands and knees with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. As you inhale, slowly drop your belly toward the floor and draw your chest forward, creating a slight backward bend in the cow pose.
- As you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling in a Cat pose.
- Synchronize your movements with your breath and move slowly in these shapes at least 5 more times.
3. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
The down position helps blood circulate better, the brain relaxes and the spirit is more comfortable. Do the following movements in turn:
- From hands and knees, move arms forward so that wrists are in line with fingers.
- If you feel tension in your shoulders, extend your arms slightly and rotate them outwards.
- Curl your toes and lift your hips up and back.
- Keep your arms straight as you look back at your feet.
- Press down with your index finger.
- If you feel tightness in your hamstrings, keep your knees bent. Bend one knee and then the other to stretch your hamstrings and calves.
- Hold the Downward-Facing Dog for 5 to 10 breaths.
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4. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), with a Twist
Continue with the fourth exercise in the pre-bedtime yoga series as follows:
- Step your feet forward on the mat and come into a forward bend. If you have hamstring tightness, keep your knees bent.
- You can place your fingertips on a block or mat, or you can grab the opposite elbow and gently rock from side to side.
- Relax your neck and shoulders and let your head drop. Hold for 5-10 breaths.
- Drop your fingertips to the mat or block, inhale, and lift halfway up to lengthen your spine into a Standing Half half-forward bend.
- Bend your left knee and reach your right arm toward the ceiling in a twisting position. If you have lower back pain, place your right hand on your hip instead of reaching toward the ceiling.
- Tilt your head back slightly and spread it out across your chest. If comfortable, look toward your right thumb.
- Hold for 5 breaths. Switch sides.
5. Squat (Malasana)
Continue with the fifth exercise in the yoga series before bed with the squatting position as follows:
- From a forward bend, step your feet an inch or two apart and turn your toes out slightly.
- Bend your knees and lower your sitting bones to the mat.
- If your heels don’t reach the mat, put your hands on the floor or in front of you for support or slip a rolled blanket or pillow under your heels.
- Place your hands together in front of your chest or walk your hands forward on the mat, circling your spine and relaxing your head to feel the stretch along the back of your body.
- Hold the squat position for 5-10 breaths.
6. Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana )
Continue with the sixth exercise in the yoga series before bed with the pigeon pose as follows:
- Straighten your legs and return to Standing Forward Bend. Step your feet back into Down Dog.
- Bring your left knee toward your left wrist and place your outside left foot on the mat. Bring your left ankle toward your right wrist to whatever degree is comfortable.
- Lower your right knee down and back until you feel it comfortably in front of your right thigh. You may want to tuck a blanket or pillow under your left hip for support.
- Inhale and lift your chest, exhale and fold forward, place your forearms on a block or mat, and find a comfortable position. You can stack your hands and rest your forehead on them.
- Relax your jaw and eyes and focus on your breathing here, especially on the exhale. Hold pigeon pose for at least 5 deep breaths and then move intoa downward facing dog.
- Pause for a few breaths, noticing the difference between the two sides. Repeat on your right side.
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7. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Continue with the seventh exercise in the bedtime yoga sequence with the bound angle pose as follows:
- Sit on the carpet.
- Pull your feet toward each other and move your heels forward to form a diamond shape.
- If you feel discomfort in the back of your knees, try moving your feet farther away from you or placing a block, folded blanket, or pillow under each knee.
- Begin to lean forward from the hips and allow your spine to curve. Bring your chest toward your feet instead of your thighs.
- Whether you lean forward a lot or a little, you want to feel comfortable.
- Take 5 to 10 deep breaths in Bound Angle Pose.
8. Head-to-knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Continue with the 8th exercise in the yoga series before bed with the head touching the pillow as follows:
- From the bound corner position, reach your hands out to the sides of your thighs and bring your knees together.
- Stretch your left leg out in front of you.
- Bring the right foot toward the upper left inner thigh as if in a tree pose (Vrksasana).
- Rotate your upper body towards your straight left leg, inhale, and lift your chest. As you exhale, stretch forward through your left leg.
- Again, tilt your chest toward your feet instead of your thighs.
- If you feel any pulling in your lower back, lean back slightly. If you feel any pulling behind the knee of your straight leg, roll up a blanket and slide it under that knee.
- Try stepping your hands toward your front foot or use a strap or towel to wrap around the base of your left foot and hold it with both hands.
- Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths in a head-to-knee pose. Switch sides.
9. Turn and lean
Continue with the ninth exercise in the pre-bedtime yoga series with the following reclining twist:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat.
- Let both legs gently lower to the left at the same time like windshield wipers.
- Place your left hand on your belly and reach your right hand out to the side.
- You can hold this position as is or to increase the stretch, place your left foot on your right knee.
- Hold the Reclining Twist for 5 to 10 deep breaths.
- Switch to the second side.
10. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Continue with the 10th exercise in the yoga series before bed with the corpse pose as follows:
- From the Reclining Twist, bring the knees back to the center and slide a bolster, rolled blanket, or pillow under the knees.
- Spread your feet apart and place your arms out to the side with your palms facing the ceiling. Close your eyes.
- If you feel cold, cover yourself with a blanket. If the lights are not dim, you can cover your eyes with your arm, the edge of a blanket, or a towel.
- Intentionally relax all your muscles. Allow yourself to surrender and let go of the day.
- Respect yourself and your practice and appreciate the time you set aside to do yoga in the evening.
- Hold the pose for at least 5 minutes.
- You can even perform Savasana in bed if you think you might fall asleep.
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