Yoga for Better Sleep: Poses and Techniques to Improve Your Sleep Quality

No yoga practice or posture can guarantee everyone a good night's sleep. How you practice yoga for sleep matters more than the practice—long, calm stretches. Take slow, deep breaths. You are not rushing but continuing.

Techniques for using yoga to improve your sleep

• Salabhasana: Lay on your stomach with your feet hip-width apart—extra padding under your hips with a folded blanket. Put your hands in a clasp behind your back, bend your elbows, and raise your arms to your ears if your shoulders are tight. Breathe out and plant your footballs. As you inhale into locust pose, your chest and arms will rise. Face forward and slightly down. Wait at least a minute, preferably longer. breathe deeply, stand on your hands and knees, and remove your hands from your shoulders. Return to downward-facing dog by exhaling and exerting.
• Utthan pristhasana: From downward-facing dog (adho mukha svanasana), move your left foot between your hands and bring your right knee to the floor. Position your elbows or forearms on a block or the floor, and step your left foot to the edge of your mat. At least a minute, preferably longer, position yourself. Continued on reverse.
• Prasarita padottanasana: The long side of the mat should be facing you as you stand and turn. Put some space between your feet and tilt your toes inward. Raise your chest as you inhale. In the wide-legged standing forward bend, you'll exhale and slowly fold forward from the hips, resting your fingertips on the mat beneath your shoulders. Do the reverse prayer hands behind your back if you want a more vigorous upper body stretch. You can relieve your neck and shoulders stress by resting your head on a block or a pile of books in a restful pose. Ten to fifteen breaths, or about a minute. Exhale as you slowly press through your feet to stand up from the pose.
• Setu bandha sarvangasana: Get in a back-lying position first. Knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and knees aligned with hips. Exhale and heave up from the hips. Set a block beneath your sacrum (the flat, triangular bone in your lower back) and shift your body's weight onto it. If you're not getting the desired level of comfort and support from the block, try lifting your hips off of it and repositioning it. You're not limited to turning on the tallest edge when using a block; you can choose whichever side is most comfortable for you. Spread your palms flat on the ground like a cactus and bring your heart up. Ten to fifteen breaths, or about a minute. To move the block, inhale deeply and lift your hips until it slides easily to one side. Relax your low back and slowly lower yourself to the mat.
• Siddhasana: Cross your ankles while sitting straight on a blanket. Place your left hand outside your right knee as you inhale, raise your spine, and exhale. Your right hand on the ground behind you supports you. Gentle twist deeper into a longer position while exhaling. Ten to fifteen deep breaths are advised. Flip a coin.

Conclusion

Yoga before bed can help people with insomnia. Yoga before bed may help you sleep better or longer. You can reduce muscle tension by practising these calming postures. It may take weeks of dedicated practice to see progress.