Yogasan For Sleep: 8 Poses to Do Before Bed

If you are struggling with insomnia, yoga might be the solution! 

Yogasan is the contracted word for "yoga asanas," which means yoga poses. 

Yogasan is performed by yogis and yoginis to support their overall physical and mental health. When your health improves through the use of yoga, it can lead to better sleep.

There are many types of yoga, from very slow to energetic, but you want to choose a gentle yogasan for sleep.

Why Yogasan?

I'm an RYT300 Tantra yoga teacher with more than a hundred hours of experience. I have seen great improvement in people's sleep when they practice yoga. 

In this article, let me share with you the 8 poses to do before bed. This yogasan will help you relax your nervous system and sleep better. Your focus will be brought inward, which is ideal for falling asleep and disconnecting your mind from your daily worries. 

Add some breathing techniques to it and you will increase relaxation, blood flow and relieve muscle tension.

When you overuse your muscles during the day, you can experience muscle spasms during your sleep that can disrupt your sleep patterns. Having a good stretch is crucial to avoiding these spasms.

What Do You Need for Your Bedtime Yoga Routine

When you practice yoga before bed, you want to do thirty minutes to one hour before bedtime. If you wait until you're too tired, you might skip the practice.

Dedicate 10-15 min each night before sleep for yogasan.

Even if yoga is best performed on a firm surface, you can still practice yogasan for sleep on your bed. Call it bed yoga! You might want to choose a firm mattress and make your bed a sacred place before you practice bed yoga.

Wear comfortable sleeping clothes and have a blanket nearby in case you get cold.

8 Yoga Poses for Better Sleep

1. Child Pose

2. Legs up the Wall Before Bed

3. Corpse Pose (Shavaasana)

In this position, all the primary curves of your body are in contact with the bed. 

Also considered as the “bed meditation pose”, this yoga pose is the easiest to perform but the most difficult to master. Because most of the time, the mind starts wandering in this position. 

In order to relax your brain, take a deep belly breath and hold it for 25 to 30 seconds. As you exhale, you will feel your body and mind sinking deeper into relaxation, which is perfect for sleep.

4. Happy Baby Pose

• As you lay on the bed, bring your knees to your chest and grab the external part of your feet. 
• As you do so, press your legs to the earth and bring a smile to your face. 
• You can bounce side to side, like a happy baby playing before bedtime.

5. Shoulder Stand

Do not perform this position if you have spinal or cervical problems.

• As you lay on the bed, extend your hips and knees and bring your legs up.
• All your weight is resting on your shoulders in this position.
• Bring your buttock in line with the spine. 
• Use your hamstrings and contract your glutes to steady the pose. 
• Maintain the position for thirty seconds to one minute.

6. Butterfly

• Sit on your bed and bring your feet together, creating a beautiful butterfly pose. 
• Then, bring your navel to your feet to keep a straight spine. If you try to get your head to your feet, you will curve your back and possibly hurt your neck.

7. Twisting

• As you lay on the bed, bring your right knee to your chest and gently twist it to your left, until your knee touches the floor. 
• Your left-hand rests on your right knee and your right arm is extended to the side as your gaze at it. 
• Then switch sides. 
• Breathing in this position opens the abdomen and releases any tension held there, including in the pelvic floor.

8. Both Legs to the Chest

• Lay on the bed and bring both knees to your chest. Hold them with your hands. 
• As you exhale, your diaphragm is stimulated and your lower body is supported.

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If you struggle to fall asleep, stretching before bed can help you fall asleep faster.