Are you experiencing trouble falling asleep after a busy day? You are not alone! According to various studies, it is believed that between 50-60% of adults suffer from insomnia. But do not worry because there are some of the best yoga poses that can surely help you sleep faster.
Taking a few minutes at the end of the day and making yourself feel comfortable is not a bad idea after a busy day. You can always unwind after a hectic schedule and try some meditation or yoga to help you sleep faster. Never done yoga or meditated before? Get ready to feel relaxed with some of the best yoga postures to help you get a great night’s sleep.
How Yoga Can Help You Sleep?
Yoga, like any other form of exercise, can be an effective way to alleviate stress and unwind after a hectic day. Research indicates that engaging in yoga might lead to diminished levels of Cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. However, the expanse of cortisol reduction might vary depending on aspects such as the intensity and frequency of yoga practice. Additionally, many studies have depicted positive results concerning yoga’s impact on depressive signs.
So, what does this actually mean for your sleep? Well, cortisol levels have a noteworthy influence on sleeping patterns. Higher levels of cortisol are often linked with difficulty staying and falling asleep. A 2019 study found that including some of the best yoga poses in one’s routine can positively affect treatment and relieve symptoms of insomnia. These findings also suggest that yoga may provide potential advantages for enhancing sleep quality and overall sleep cycle.
Best Yoga Poses To Help You Sleep Faster
Practising yoga before your good night’s sleep is an amazing way to release everything you are holding onto, physically or mentally. These best yoga poses don’t require any level of experience and are easy enough for beginner yogis.
It is important to note that while moving between these poses,
- You should pay attention to your breathing.
- Remember to pay attention to where you are feeling the most tension in your body.
- Try to relax and breathe calmly if you experience any kind of discomfort.
- Remember to move through these poses for about 20-30 minutes before bed.
1. Hero Pose (Virasana)
Start with sitting comfortably with your glutes resting on your heels. The tops of your feet should be on the floor. One of the best yoga poses, Virasana brings delicate stretching action to your knees and ankles.
Hero pose helps lubricate fluid to flood areas of ankles and knees. This protects these areas against injury and eliminates any cracking sounds or little discomfort you may be experiencing here.
Take this opportunity to extend the spine upward and open the chest as you find a relaxing breath pattern. Use your even, deep breaths to clear your mind and slow down your heart rate.
Benefits Of Hero Pose
- Stretches the ankles, thighs, and knees.
- Relieves gas and improves digestion.
- Helps to ease the symptoms of menopause.
- Therapeutic for asthma and high blood pressure.
- Relieves swelling of the legs during pregnancy.
2. Cat & Cow Pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)
From the Hero Pose, roll forward onto your knees and hands. For the Cat pose, tilt the crown of your head and the tailbone downward to the ground. Arch your spine into a C-curve and pull your shoulder blades apart.
Inhale into cow pose by getting back the tailbone and the crown of the head up towards the ceiling, hollowing out your lower back. Flow between these two yoga postures as long as you’d like. Move with the pattern of your inhaling and exhaling, and feel like you are putting space between every vertebra and loosening up the spine.
Benefits Of Cat & Cow Pose
- Improves flexibility and relieves stress.
- Enhances coordination and better posture.
- Boosts abdominal organs.
- Alleviates back pain.
- Balances the nervous system.
3. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
After the Cat & Cow posture, return to a neutral spine on the tabletop. From the tabletop, sink your hips back to the heels and position your chest between your thighs. Your big toes will touch one another. Your knees will be as far apart as necessary to help you breathe deeply and settle comfortably.
With your forehead resting on a blanket or on the ground, stretch your arms by walking your fingertips out in front of you. You also roll your forehead on the ground side to side to give yourself a good yet mini face massage.
Benefits Of Child’s Pose
- Stretches your ankles, spine, hips, and thighs.
- Calm your mind and reduce fatigue and anxiety.
- Increases blood circulation in our head.
- Helps in digestion.
- Releases tension in your lower back muscles, hamstrings, chest, and shoulders.
4. Figure Four Against The Wall (Modified Sucirandhrasana)
Get into your back and position yourself so your tailbone is positioned at the base of a wall (or flat or tall surface). Position your glutes about a foot away from the wall.
Position the bottom of one foot on the wall. While holding your tailbone in contact with the ground, bend the opposite foot and gently place your ankle on top of your opposite thigh. Remember to keep your top foot flexed throughout this pose, with your toes pulling back toward your thighs, to protect the knee joint from injury.
Benefits Of Figure Four Against The Wall
- Releases tension in the pelvic area.
- Stretches the leg and hip rotators.
- Reliefs from long days of sitting in a chair.
- Relaxes the nervous system.
5. Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani)
One of the best yoga poses for better sleep is Viparita Karani. After stretching in Figure 4, unfold your legs straight to the wall. Bring your tailbone closer to the wall’s base or even to the point where the glutes are touching the wall. This yoga posture can be a perfect gentle hamstring stretch.
Additionally, it helps drain lactic acid and lymph from the legs. It helps to prevent any injury and also decreases the symptoms of soreness and fatigue if you spend a lot of time standing.
Benefits Of Legs Up The Wall
- Reduces swelling and fatigue in the feet.
- Helps to release tension and stress.
- Gently stretch your lower back and hamstrings.
- Improves circulation and boosts digestion.
- Relieves symptoms of PMS.
6. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Jathara Parivartanasana)
From the Viparita Karani pose, transition to face away from the wall and bring both your knees into your chest. Rock back and forth. When you are ready, bring your arms out into a “T” with your hands in a straight line with your shoulders and let the knees fall over to one side of your body.
You can also keep both your knees bent, and you can choose to straighten both legs or straighten the top leg. If you are not feeling the twist as much as you want, it might be helpful to adjust your tailbone. Bring your glutes further over to the middle of your yoga mat so that your back is in one line down the centre of your yoga mat area. This can boost the stretch in the lower back.
Benefits Of Supine Spinal Twist
- Improves spinal flexibility.
- Boost digestion.
- Relieves pain in the hips, lower back, and spine.
- Opens tight shoulders.
- Calms the mind and improves concentration.
7. Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Bring both knees back into your chest and grasp your two big toes with your index and middle fingers. Then, pull your heels up to the ceiling while keeping the tailbone down towards the ground.
Your knees should pull into your underarm area and rock back and forth to massage your spine gently. This is one of the best yoga poses to relieve abdominal discomfort and is perfect for a final spinal relaxation posture.
Benefits Of Happy Baby
- Opens the inner thighs, groin, and hips.
- Stretches and realigns the spine.
- Reduces lower back pain.
- Improves fatigue and tiredness.
- Stretches the hamstring.
- Eases anxiety and stress.
8. Reclining Goddess Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
From the Happy Baby Pose, release your feet down to the mat. Bring the soles of your feet to touch one another and let your knees fall open. Pull your heels as close toward your pelvic area as is comfortable.
Reclining Goddess is one of the best yoga poses that brings a gentle stretch into your inner thighs, pelvis, and lower abdomen. Just pull your shoulder blades underneath you, putting some space between the tops of your earlobes and your shoulders. Then, bring your left hand and rest it on your heart, and rest your right hand on your belly and relax.
Benefits of Reclining Goddess Pose
- Stretches and expands your inner thighs, groin muscles, and hips.
- Reduces excess fat and tightens the lower abdomen.
- Soothes the internal organs.
- A good relaxing and meditative pose.
- Improves flexibility.
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
From the reclining goddess yoga posture, simply release your feet down to the corners of your yoga mat or bed and let your toes fall open to the sides.
Release the hands so that your palms are facing up and the backs of your hands are resting on the bed a few inches away from your hips. Close your eyes and let your mind be free of thoughts and still. Breathe naturally and let your body feel relaxed, calm, and quiet.
Benefits of Corpse Pose
- Improves concentration and relaxes your muscles.
- Releases fatigue, depression, stress, and tension.
- Relaxes the mind and improves mental health.
- Stimulates blood circulation.
Final Line
Improve your sleeping schedule and relax your mind with the 9 best yoga poses. It is important to note that these poses have to be done in sequence for improved results. Doing yoga can offer you multiple benefits, including your sleep schedule. Do try these poses at the end of your busy and hectic day to relieve stress and tension and unwind yourself in a better way.
FAQ’s
Some of the best yoga poses are legs up the wall, seated twist, child pose, head to knee pose, butterfly pose, and many more.
Doing yoga before going to bed helps to enhance your sleep quality and releases stress.
Also Read About: Anxiety and Self-Care: Making Mental Health a Priority in Everyday Life
