6 Quick Yoga Routines To Practice Before Bed For Relaxing Sleep

Did you know that the quality of your sleep can significantly impact your physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being? Yet, countless individuals find themselves tossing and turning at night, grappling with stress, excessive screen time, unpredictable schedules, and racing thoughts. What if there were ways to reclaim those restful nights?

Studies on sleep and movement consistently show that gentle yoga before bedtime helps calm the nervous system, lower stress levels, and prepare the body for rest. Slow movements combined with deep breathing send relaxation signals to the brain, helping reduce sleep latency and nighttime restlessness.

Practicing a short yoga routine before bed can improve sleep quality, reduce muscle tension, and support a more peaceful night’s rest. Below are 6 quick yoga routines that are safe, effective, and easy to practice right before sleeping.

1. Child’s Pose

Why It Helps

Child’s Pose is one of the most calming yoga positions. It gently stretches the lower back, hips, and shoulders, areas where stress commonly builds up.

How To Practice

• Kneel comfortably and sit back on your heels
• Fold your torso forward
• Rest your forehead on the bed or mat
• Breathe slowly for 1–3 minutes

Key Benefits:

• Reduces mental stress
• Relaxes the spine
• Encourages deep breathing

2. Legs Up The Wall

Why It Helps

This gentle inverted pose promotes circulation and activates the body’s relaxation response without physical effort.

How To Practice

• Lie on your back near a wall
• Extend legs upward against the wall
• Keep arms relaxed by your sides
• Stay for 3–5 minutes

Key Benefits:

• Calms the nervous system
• Relieves tired legs and feet
• Helps slow the heart rate

3. Supine Spinal Twist

Why It Helps

Spinal twists release lower back tension and relax the abdominal muscles, which supports digestion and nighttime comfort.

How To Practice

• Lie on your back
• Pull one knee toward the chest
• Gently twist it across the body
• Hold for 1–2 minutes per side

Key Benefits:

• Improves spinal flexibility
• Reduces stiffness
• Promotes body relaxation

4. Butterfly Pose

Why It Helps

This pose opens the hips and promotes deep breathing, which is essential for calming the mind before sleep.

How To Practice

• Lie on your back
• Bring soles of the feet together
• Let knees fall outward
• Support knees with pillows if needed
• Hold for 2–4 minutes

Key Benefits:

• Relaxes hip muscles
• Encourages slow breathing
• Reduces physical restlessness

5. Cat–Cow Stretch

Why It Helps

This gentle movement sequence improves spinal mobility and synchronizes breath with movement, which is ideal for stress relief.

How To Practice

• Start on hands and knees
• Inhale while arching the spine (Cow)
• Exhale while rounding the spine (Cat)
• Repeat slowly for 1–2 minutes

Key Benefits:

• Releases spine tension
• Improves posture awareness
• Calms the mind

6. Corpse Pose

Why It Helps

Corpse Pose is essential for full-body relaxation and mental stillness. It signals the body that it is safe to rest.

How To Practice

• Lie flat on your back
• Let arms and legs relax naturally
• Close your eyes
• Stay for 5–10 minutes

Key Benefits:

• Lowers stress hormones
• Slows breathing and heart rate
• Prepares the body for sleep

Quick Before-Bed Yoga Summary

Yoga Routine	Focus Area	Duration	Main Benefit
Child’s Pose	Back & hips	1–3 minutes	Stress relief
Legs Up The Wall	Circulation	3–5 minutes	Nervous system calm
Supine Spinal Twist	Spine	1–2 min/side	Muscle relaxation
Butterfly Pose	Hips & breath	2–4 minutes	Deep relaxation
Cat–Cow Stretch	Spine movement	1–2 minutes	Tension release
Corpse Pose	Full body	5–10 minutes	Sleep readiness

Practicing yoga before bed is a simple yet powerful way to improve sleep naturally. These 6 quick yoga routines help release physical tension, calm racing thoughts, and activate the body’s natural relaxation response.

When practiced consistently, even for just a few minutes each night, they can lead to deeper sleep, fewer nighttime awakenings, and more refreshed mornings.

Making bedtime yoga part of your daily routine supports long-term sleep health without medication or complex techniques.

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