Struggling to fall asleep even after upgrading your mattress, trying sleep aids, or turning on your favorite white noise? You’re far from alone. According to a 2024 CNET survey, more than half of adults use some form of sleep support – yet restful nights still feel out of reach for many. While expensive gadgets and blackout curtains can help, one low-cost, effective option might already be right at your fingertips: yoga.
But here’s the catch. Not every yoga pose is designed to help you wind down. Some are energizing and can leave you feeling more alert instead of relaxed. To help you avoid trial-and-error frustration, we consulted an expert to pinpoint the exact poses that promote calm, lower stress levels and prepare your body for deeper, longer sleep.
If you’re looking for other ways to get better rest, then you’re in luck. We have plenty more sleep tips for you, from expert-approved food for sleep and preventive methods to stop nightly bathroom trips from breaking up your sleeping schedule to how to beat late-night anxiety with cognitive shuffling.
Whether you’re tired of tossing and turning or want a natural way to ease into bedtime, these gentle, expert-backed moves can help quiet your mind and prep your body for rest. Want more help getting quality sleep? Don’t miss our other guides on the best foods for sleep, how to avoid late-night bathroom wakeups and the surprising cognitive trick that eases anxiety before bed.
How yoga can help you sleep
There’s some science behind why yoga can help you sleep better. Yoga and breathing techniques help calm your nervous system and reduce cortisol, which puts your body in a more relaxed state, ideal to help you fall asleep.
Calming the mind and body
According to Chloe Kernaghan, co-founder of yoga studio Sky Ting, yoga helps you sleep better in two ways: It helps relax a racing mind and calms the nervous system. “Yoga as a practice is centered around finding stillness in the mind, which more often than not is the opposite state the mind is in when we’re having sleep issues (i.e., your mind is racing),” Kernaghan says.
Yoga includes elements of mindfulness, but it’s also a physical practice known for helping calm the body’s physical stress response, or the nervous system, through breathwork and performing specific poses. Kernaghan explains, “The physical practice can help calm the nervous system and switch you from sympathetic mode to a parasympathetic mode, ideal for resting and deep sleep.”
Reducing cortisol levels before bed
Research seems to agree with Kernaghan, as recent studies suggest that engaging in yoga may lead to reduced levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. The extent of cortisol reduction may vary depending on factors such as the frequency and intensity of yoga practice. Additionally, some studies have shown promising results regarding yoga’s impact on depression symptoms. Yoga can complement traditional treatment approaches and promote overall well-being.
So, what does this mean for your sleep? Well, cortisol levels have a significant influence on sleep patterns. Higher cortisol levels are often associated with difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. A study conducted in 2019 found that incorporating yoga into one’s routine can positively affect insomnia symptoms. These findings suggest that practicing yoga may offer potential benefits for improving sleep quality and overall sleep health.
Which types of yoga classes are best for sleep?
Not all yoga classes are mellow. Some classes are more fast-paced, like power yoga for example, and can increase your heart rate. That’s a good thing, but you want to focus on movement that does the opposite if you’re feeling stressed and want to unwind before bed.
“I recommend doing calming, slow practices like yin yoga and restorative yoga,” Kernaghan says. “In these classes, you’ll generally stay in poses longer, use more props for support and have less intense instruction from the teacher, so there’s more quiet space.”
If the thought of doing anything that resembles a workout or requires a yoga mat makes you cringe, you can also try yoga nidra, which Kernaghan recommends doing before bed. “Yoga nidra is “closer to meditation but is generally done lying down. Little to no physical effort is needed. Instead, a nidra practice helps drop you from a beta state (the waking state) to a theta state (occurs when you are dreaming, deeply relaxed or meditating),” she says.
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3 best yoga poses for sleep
The next time you struggle to fall asleep or catch quality Zs, try these poses in the evening to help you unwind. You can do them all in a sequence if you’d like, or pick and choose a few that feel good to you in the moment.
“You can definitely do poses on your own; sequences are nice because you have someone to guide you through, but if you’re familiar with the postures, doing a few right before bed could be your perfect recipe,” Kernaghan says.
Supported Child’s Pose
“Forward folds are calming for the body and with the fold at the knees and hips, this can also be a nice stretch for the hips and low back. definitely make sure your head is supported, so if you need to, add another pillow to make it comfortable,” Kernaghan says.
How to do it, according to Kernaghan:
- Start with your hands and knees touching the floor or bed.
- Bring your knees about as wide as a yoga mat, big toes touch behind you and sit your hips back to your heels.
- Use a thick pillow or couch cushion lengthwise, placed between the legs for the torso to stretch forward on, which should act like gentle support from the low belly to the head.
- Feel free to turn your neck to one side and breathe. Stay for three to five minutes, turning your head halfway through if your neck is turned.
Supported Goddess Pose
“This gentle hip-opener is a perfect way to unwind and relax. Having a deep fold in the legs can help with digestion, and letting the body settle heavy to the floor is a great way to release any lingering holds from your day,” Kernaghan says. (The above video shows a related exercise, not the one described here.)
How to do it, according to Kernaghan:
- Come to a seated position with your legs out in front of you.
- Bring the soles of your feet together, with your knees butterflied open, and use two pillows (one under each thigh/knee) as support.Â
- Recline the torso back onto the floor; feel free to use a folded blanket underneath the back of the head.
- Place hands on the belly or open the arms out to the side. Cover the eyes if you’d like, and stay for three to five minutes.
Legs Up the Wall
“This pose is amazing for so much, but in relation to sleep, it’s great because it’s a gentle inversion. The legs drain for a few minutes, which helps with circulation so the body is less agitated as you fall asleep. I love doing this pose in my bed sometimes, just swinging my legs up my headboard,” Kernaghan says.
How to do it, according to Kernaghan:
- This pose is just as it sounds. You sit close to a wall, bring your torso to the floor and swing your legs up the wall.
- I recommend bringing your seat close to the wall, but if the legs or lower back are tight, keep some bend in the knees.
- I like adding a pillow under my hips so my pelvis is slightly higher than my heart.
- Stay for three to five minutes. If your legs feel tingly, you can always bend and butterfly your knees open with your feet together instead.
With these three yoga poses for sleep in your nighttime tool kit, you will be on your way to sweet dreams.
Other yoga poses for sleep
These poses are for any level of experience and are easy enough for beginners. While moving between these poses, remember to pay attention to your breath and where you feel most tension in your body. Breathe and try to relax if you experience any discomfort.
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1. Cat-cow pose
To get into this pose, start on your hands and knees. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, and your knees should be below your hips. Take a deep breath and tilt your head toward the ceiling while also sticking up your pelvis, which should mimic a “cow.” Then, on your exhale, arch your back and bring both your head and pelvis down like a “cat.” You can repeat these two motions a few times before moving on.
2. Forward fold
This pose is as easy as standing up straight and leaning over to reach for your toes. If you are able, place your hands on the ground. If you are unable to touch your toes, you can do a half-forward fold and grab below your knees. Looking for a challenge? Try reaching around your ankles and holding on. Make sure your back is straight and you are taking deep breaths.
3. Bridge pose
Start by lying down on your back, legs and arms stretched out and on the ground. Take a deep breath, raise your core off the ground and shift your arms closer to your body to balance. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Your hands can lie flat, or you can bring them together underneath your core.
4. Happy baby
This is an easy pose to transition into after Bridge, since you start this pose on your back. Lift your legs to the ceiling and out a little past your shoulders (or however far you can go). Then, grab onto the outside of your feet with both hands. Gently rock left and right to relieve tension in your lower back.
5. Seated twist
I recommend trying this after coming out of Child’s pose. Simply sit back up and extend your legs out in front of you. Cross one leg over the other, pulling the heel of the crossed leg to your outer thigh. With the opposite arm, cross your body and twist yourself, pushing with your elbow on the raised knee. Twist and breathe. Repeat with the other side before moving on.
6. Butterfly pose
From a seated position, straighten your posture and press the bottom of both your feet together. Placing your hands on your feet, attempt to press your hips as low as you can to the ground. The lower you go, the bigger the stretch. If you are looking for more of a challenge, move your feet closer to your body.
7. Head-to-knee pose
This is a basic pose. Start in a seated position with your legs out in front of you. Bring one foot to the inner thigh of your opposite leg and extend your hands out over your extended leg. Sit up taller, breathe deeply and grab ahold of your foot in front of you. If you can’t fully reach your foot, no problem: Grab your ankle or the back of your knee. Lean into the stretch and try to bring your forehead to your knee. Repeat on the opposite side.
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