Restful Nights: How Can Yoga Improve Your Sleep

Hey there, Yogis!

This week, we’re focusing on something we all need more of: better sleep. Yoga is an excellent tool for winding down, calming the mind, and preparing the body for restful sleep.

Let’s explore how yoga can help you get the deep, restorative sleep you deserve.

Yoga Deep Dive
How Yoga Helps You Sleep Better

Research has shown that yoga can significantly improve sleep quality, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Here’s how yoga works its magic:

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

• Yoga lowers cortisol levels, calming the nervous system and reducing the mental chatter that keeps you awake.

• Breathwork Tip: Practicing slow, deep breathing before bed signals your body that it’s time to relax.

Releases Physical Tension

• Tight muscles from sitting or stress can make it hard to get comfortable at night. Gentle yoga poses stretch and relax these muscles, setting the stage for better rest.

Encourages a Calm Mind

• Yoga’s meditative aspects promote mindfulness, helping you let go of the day’s worries and focus on the present moment.

Regulates Sleep Patterns

• A consistent yoga practice helps balance your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm), making it easier to establish a bedtime routine.

Prepares the Body for Rest

• Restorative poses like Child’s Pose or Reclined Butterfly calm the body and promote deep relaxation, paving the way for sleep.

Practice of The Day
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

This restorative pose reduces swelling in the legs, lowers heart rate, and encourages relaxation; ideal for easing into a good night’s sleep.

How to Practice:

• Sit sideways against a wall, then lie back and swing your legs up the wall.

• For comfort, adjust your hips closer to or farther from the wall, letting your arms relax at your sides.

• Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and hold the pose for 5–10 minutes.

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Yoga in Everyday Life
Bedtime Ritual: Forward Fold

End your day with a calming Forward Fold.

Sit with your legs extended, inhale to lengthen your spine, and exhale as you fold forward, letting your hands rest on your legs or feet. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and allow your body to relax.

This pose stretches the hamstrings, releases tension in the lower back, and signals your body to unwind.

Try these poses tonight and notice how they transform your bedtime routine.

Ready to dive deeper? Visit our Instagram for a guided sleep-focused sequence, or share this newsletter with someone who struggles with sleep.

Namaste,
The Yoga Daily Team