Yoga for Better Sleep

Yoga, including the specialized practice of yoga sleep, is a holistic mind and body discipline that seamlessly combines physical postures, deep breathing exercises, and meditation or relaxation techniques for a well-rounded experience. It has been shown to have several benefits for physical and mental health, including improved sleep quality. Yoga or yoga sleep can help to improve sleep in several ways. It can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety, which can interfere with sleep.
• Relax the body and mind, making it easier to fall asleep.
• Improve breathing, which can help to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
• Increase flexibility and range of motion, reducing pain and discomfort, making sleeping difficult.
• Promote overall well-being, making getting a good night's sleep easier.

If you are struggling with sleep, yoga or yoga sleep can be a helpful addition to your sleep hygiene routine. Many different yoga poses can be beneficial for sleep, and you can find a variety of yoga classes and videos online or at your local yoga studio for yoga sleep.

Here are a few poses that you can try for better sleep:

1. Breaths

Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Place your hands on your knees. Engage your core and close your eyes. Bring awareness to your breathing as you take a deep belly breath, in through your nose, holding for a few seconds, and out through your nose. Return to your normal breathing.

2. Side Neck Stretch

Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Then extend your right arm to the side with your fingertips touching the floor for support. Use your hand to gently pull your head closer to your shoulder as comfortably as you can go. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

3. Wrist Circles

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Then hold your hands in front of your body at shoulder height and start rotating your wrists in a circular motion. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction.

4. Seated Cat-Cow

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Then place your hands on your knees and engage your core. Raise your head and arch your mid back. Then, alternate by rounding out your mid back as you slowly drop your head towards your chest. Repeat the movement, alternating directions.

5. Hip Circles

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Then pplace your hands on your knees. Moreover, engage your core and take a deep belly breath in. Slowly exhale as you lower your chest down to one knee. Slowly swoop your upper body from one knee to your opposite knee, inhale as you raise back up to an upright sitting position. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction.

6. Back Stretch with Arms Crossed

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed. Maintain good alignment of your head, shoulders, and hips. Hinge from your hips to bring your upper body forward and cross your arms over your knees. Then engage your core and round your midback, bringing your head towards your chest. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat the movement by changing the position of your arms.

7. Bound Hands with Arms Stretch

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Engage your core, interlace your fingers, then flip your hands forward with palms facing outward. Then slowly round your mid-back and tuck your head between the arms, inhale, bring your joined hands overhead, and shift your gaze towards the sky. Exhale as you return to the starting position.

8. Seated Heart Opener

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Interlace your fingers behind your back. Engage your core. Then slightly lift your joined hands away from your body and bring your chin up as you arch your midback to open your chest. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

9. Rabbit Pose with Bound Arm

At this point, slowly extend your joined hands toward the sky. Then bend your upper body forward, gently resting the top of your head between your knees.  Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

10. Wide-Legged Child’s Pose

You can use a pillow under your belly or chest for support if needed.

Begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees wider than your shoulder hip-width apart. Then tighten your abdominal area and shift your hips back to your feet while extending both arms overhead. Lower your forehead to the floor and relax your mid-back area for a light stretch.

Moreover, if you want to intensify the movement, walk your hands a little further. Then hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Variation 1- Wide-Legged Child’s Pose

This position is for people who have hip issues and lower back injuries.

Begin in an upright kneeling position on the floor with your knees close together. Tighten your abdominal area. Then shift your hips back to your feet and place your arms at your sides. Drop your forehead on the floor, relaxing your mid-back area for a light stretch. Take a couple of deep belly breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

11. Resting Half Frog Pose

Lie on your stomach on the floor, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then place your arms at your sides. Bend one knee out to the side at a 45-degree angle from your hips and turn your head to the opposite side. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Moreover, to make this exercise more challenging, you can place a block or pillow under the knee to open your hips more.

Variation 1- Resting Half Frog Pose

This position is for people who have hip issues and tight hips.

Lie on your back on the floor, while maintaining good alignment of your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Bend one knee at a 45-degree angle from your hips. Then place one hand on your bent knee for support and extend your other arm on the opposite side. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

12. Cobra

Lie on your stomach with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place your hands at your sides at chest level. Then breathe in, then press up and arch your back, using your glutes and back muscle strength with minimal assistance from your arms. Afterwards, hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth

13. Child’s Pose 

Begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees wider than your shoulder hip-width apart. Then engage your core and shift your hips back to your feet. Lower your chin or forehead to the floor, relaxing your mid-back area for a light stretch. Press your palms together in a prayer position above your head, moving your elbows closer to the side of your head. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and return to the starting position.

Variation 1- Child’s Pose 

Begin in a 4-point position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees wider than your shoulder hip-width apart. Then egage your core and shift your hips back to your feet as you extend your arms overhead. Walk your hands to one side and lower your head to relax your mid-back area. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

14. Wide Legged Seated Forward Fold

Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor. Then extend both legs in front of your body with your feet considerably wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed upward. Engage your core, walk both hands forward as you hinge through your hips to bend your upper body, ideally resting the top of your head on the floor. Afterwards, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

15. Windshield Wiper

Begin in an upright sitting position with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, while maintaining good alignment in your upper body. Then place your hands on the floor behind you for support. Engage your core and lower both knees to one side. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction.

16. Curling Like a Ball

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then engage your core and bring both knees to your chest. Lift your upper body and wrap your arms around your knees. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

17. Spinal Twist

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Engage your core, twist through the lower back, pelvis, and spine to bring both knees to one side as you gaze in the opposite direction. Then place one hand on your knees for support while extending your other arm on the opposite side. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat the movement on the opposite side.

18. Happy Baby

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body and shoulders. Then lift your legs to bring your knees toward your shoulders and grab your toes with your hands. Afterwards, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

To intensify this exercise, you can gently rock your lower spine from side to side.

Variation 1- Happy Baby

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body and shoulders. Then lift your legs to bring your knees toward your shoulders and grab your toes with your hands. Gently move your body to the side as you extend one leg out. Repeat the movement alternately on the opposite side.

Variation 2- Happy Baby

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body and shoulders. Lift your legs to bring your knees toward your shoulders and grab your toes with your hands. Then eengage your abdominal muscles. Depending on your comfort level, gently straighten your legs out to the sides. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

19. Supine Butterfly Pose

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly. Tighten your core and open your knees to the side, bringing the soles of your feet together.  Afterwards, hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. 

You can utilize a pillow or a cushion to support your hips.

20. Corpse Pose

Lie on your back on the floor with your legs stretched out, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then bring your arms to your sides, palms facing up, and close your eyes. Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

21. Full Body Stretch

Lie on your back on the floor, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Then engage your core and bring your arms overhead, reaching as you stretch your legs long. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth

22. Lotus /Prayer Pose

Begin in an upright sitting position with your legs crossed in front of your body, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Bring your left ankle over the top of your right shin by your hip crease. Then press your palms together in a prayer position at chest height. Close your eyes and hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

When it comes to achieving a good night's sleep, yoga emerges as a gentle yet powerful ally. Its holistic approach encompasses mind, body, and spirit, offering myriad benefits that can transform sleep patterns and enhance overall well-being. By engaging in a regular yoga practice, you embark on a journey of self-care and self-discovery, paving the way for restful nights and energized mornings.

Moreover, as you unroll your yoga mat and embrace the practice, remember that the journey to better sleep may take time and patience. But with each mindful breath, each gentle stretch, and each moment of inner stillness, you are nurturing your body and inviting tranquility into your life. Embrace the peace and tranquility that yoga offers, letting go of the worries and stress of the day. Allow yourself to be fully present in each pose, connecting with the soothing rhythm of your breath.