10 Simple Yoga Poses for Better Sleep
Sleep deprivation is a common problem these days. Whether you get those 7-8 hours of sleep or not, you can feel exhausted and lifeless in the morning because you fall asleep with worries, negative thoughts, and stress. Stress and sleep deprivation come hand in hand and can be a vicious cycle that is hard to break. Honestly, I had to deal with that cycle and couldn’t find the way out. It was all because of stress. I went to bed before 11 and got 8 hours of sleep, but I never felt refreshed and energized in the morning.
Yoga has helped me cope with my problem, and I try to do these poses right before bed, especially when I feel stressed out.
While there’s no magic pill for insomnia, soothing your body and mind before bed can help you sleep better and wake up happier in the morning, not in the middle of the night. Check out what yoga poses you can do tonight to improve your sleep:
1 Legs up the wall
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If you have trouble falling asleep, put your legs up against the wall and hold this position for 5-10 minutes. Make sure your eyes are closed, and your mind is clear, otherwise you won’t get a desirable result.
2 Reclining butterfly
Even if you don’t practice yoga at all, you can perform this pose with little to no effort. In my opinion, this is the easiest sleep-improving yoga pose that is ideal for everyone. Lie down on your back, bring your feet together and splay out your knees in a diamond. I prefer to perform this yoga pose on my bed because I can fall asleep suddenly.
Read also – 10 Yoga Poses That Improve Your Metabolism
3 Seated spinal twist
The seated spinal twist helps to relieve lower back pain and relax the whole body. Even though this yoga pose seems to be too simple, it has many health benefits, not to mention that it’s totally easy to perform. Just sit on the floor or the bed with both your legs stretched. Keep your right leg bent over your left leg and vice versa. My time is 8 minutes. I feel much more relaxed and ready to sleep in just 8 minutes (sometimes less, depending on how tired I am.)
4 Corpse pose
The corpse pose is typically the last pose done in most yoga classes. This pose is known as final relaxation and can be performed before bedtime too. Corpse pose helps to reduce tension in the body and clear the mind from worries and intrusive thoughts. Perform it regularly to start to see yourself sleep better.
Read also – Why I Became a Yoga Instructor
5 Straight leg raise
Perhaps, you’ve already noticed that yoga poses that improve sleep are simple and affordable. The next pose is no exception. The straight leg raise is a favorite exercise of kids, and mine, actually. I love it to do when I don’t feel like exercising or sleeping, but I know I have to wake up full of energy and in a good mood. All I do is lift my legs straight up in the air, and that’s it.
Read also – 4 Smart Things You Can Do When You Can’t Fall Asleep
6 Plow pose
Staying in this position for at least one minute can significantly improve your sleep. Plow pose isn’t as easy as the reclining butterfly pose, but it’s possible to learn how to perform it correctly in a matter of a few hours. Lying down on the back, raise your legs over the head and then to the floor behind you. Keep your hands either on the floor or on your back for support.
Read also – Why I Became a Yoga Instructor
7 Child’s pose (Balasana)
After a long, stressful and super busy day, all you want is to relax and forget about your worries. Child’s pose has been shown to help people fall asleep faster and sleep better. Place your knees against the floor. Your arms should be extended or by the sides while your forehead should be against the ground. Hold this position for at least 5 minutes.
8 Standing forward bend
This yoga pose isn’t the best option for beginners. It takes a bit practice and time to perform the standing forward bend pose easily without any harm to your health. Stand with your feet slightly apart, fold your torso to the floor, bend your arms and grab opposite hand to opposite elbow. Of course, you don’t have to perform exactly how it’s needed, but try to do it as shown in the picture above.
9 Hero pose (Virasana)
Starting in a comfortable seated pose with your glutes resting on your heels with the tops of your feet on the floor, hero pose brings gentle stretching action to your knees and ankles.
This pose allows lubricating fluid to flood these areas, which protects them against injury, gets rid of any cracking sounds or minor discomfort you may be feeling here, and helps them feel more loose, warm, and comfortable—without any motion required.
Take this opportunity to lengthen the spine upward, and open the chest as you find a calming breath pattern. Use your deep, even breaths to slow down your heart rate and clear your mind.
10 Happy baby (Ananda Balasana)
Your knees should be pulling into your underarm area, and you can rock back and forth to gently massage the spine. This is a great pose for relieving abdominal discomfort and is a perfect final spinal relaxation pose.
Read also – 10 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Despite Stress
If you have trouble falling asleep, give some of these yoga poses a try. If you’re new to yoga, choose simple poses – they are as effective as those difficult ones. Sleep deprivation, stress, and insomnia can cost you more than just a restless night and a sleepy day. They can lead to a great number of various health issues. If you have chronic insomnia, make sure you see your doctor as soon as possible. What are your favorite yoga poses?
