Did you know the USA loses up to $411 billion annually due to insufficient sleep? Insufficient sleep affects our physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. While there are a lot of solutions to sleeplessness, practising yoga during nighttime can help you prepare for sleep by relaxing your body and calming your mind.
In this blog, Alpesh Yoga – trusted globally for 100 hour yoga teacher training in Goa – will help you learn about the top benefits of yoga for better sleep and also list top yoga poses for good sleep.
Let’s start by discovering the top benefits of yoga at night.
Yoga for Better Sleep: Benefits
The below benefits will help you understand why it makes sense to perform some yoga postures at night before going to sleep:
Reduces stress and anxiety: Yoga and meditation encourage mindfulness, grounding you in the present moment. Regular practice eases mental stress and creates a calmer mind better suited for relaxation and sleep.
Relieves physical tension: Stress can also be carried in the shoulders, neck, and lower back muscles. Gentle stretching in yoga can release tightness and promote physical comfort and relaxation before bed.
Regulates breathing and heart rate: Deep breathing techniques used in yoga and pranayama slow down the breath and heart rate. Slowing down the breath and heart rate signals the body that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep.
Improves sleep quality: Regular practice of yoga during nighttime can help you fall asleep faster and experience deeper, more restorative sleep by creating a sense of inner calm.
Now that we know why it makes sense to practice yoga at night before sleeping, let’s discover the top yoga poses for a restful night’s sleep.
Yoga Poses for Good Sleep
Practicing gentle yoga poses at night can help you unwind your body and mind. Aim to keep the lighting low and consider using calming music while practicing yoga at night for a more relaxing atmosphere.
Below are the top 5 yoga poses to practice at night for better sleep:
Balasana (Child’s pose): To begin practicing child pose at night, kneel on the floor, bring your big toes together, and sit back on your heels. Extend your arms forward and lower your torso between your thighs while resting your forehead on the ground.
Practicing balasana regularly stretches the back shoulder, releases tension, and promotes feelings of calm and safety.
Supta Baddha Konasana ( Reclining Bound Angle Pose): Start by lying down on your back. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to fall open to the sides. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly while focusing on your breath.
It will help open the hips, release stress stored in your body, and encourage deep belly breathing to help you relax.
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose): Sit on the ground with one hip against the wall and swing your legs up onto the wall as you lie back. Keep your arms relaxed by your sides and stay in this position for a few minutes before going to sleep.
Practicing Viparita Karani regularly will help you reverse blood flow, alleviate tired legs, reduce anxiety, and gently stretch the hamstrings.
Marjaryasana-Birilasana (Cat-Cow Stretch): Start practicing the cat-cow pose by standing on all fours. Inhale as you arch your back and lift your head for the cow pose. Then, exhale as you round your back and tuck your chin for the cat pose. Start with 3-5 repetitions and increase gradually as you get comfortable.
Cat-cow stretch will ease back and neck tension, increase flexibility along the spine, and help release stress from the day.
Savasana (Corpse Pose) is one of the easiest yoga poses to practice at home at night for sleep. Lie flat on your back and place your arms at your sides with palms facing up. Let your feet fall naturally outward. Close your eyes and start focusing on your deep breathing.
Regular practice of Savasana will help you completely relax your entire body, reduce stress, promote mindfulness, and prepare the body for sleep.
Behold!
You have discovered top yoga poses to practice at night for better sleep but wait. Can you practice these yoga poses without creating a solid bedtime routine? Of course not!
So, let’s discover expert tips to create a bedtime yoga routine at home.
Yoga for Good Sleep: Creating a Bedtime Yoga Routine
Consistency in practicing yoga at night is important for good sleep. Here’s how you can build a nightly yoga routine that’s easy to maintain:
- Aim for a few minutes of gentle stretching and breathing before bed. A short routine is enough to help you relax.
- Keep the lighting low to signal your brain that it’s time to wind down. Soft lighting will help your body relax.
- Use pillows, blankets, or bolsters to practice yoga poses like child pose or reclining bound angle pose.
- Avoid electronic devices an hour before sleep as screen time can interfere with melatonin production.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to support uninterrupted sleep.
- Finish with a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation, focusing on releasing any remaining tension in your body and mind.
Yoga for Better Sleep: Wrapup
A gentle yoga routine can profoundly impact your overall well-being and help you recover from insomnia. Yoga poses and mindful breathing techniques can ease tension, relax your mind, and prepare your body for a restful night’s sleep.
Got any queries to ask about yoga and sleep wellness? Send them to alpeshyoga@gmail.com and get them answered by yoga experts.
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