Yoga for Sleep: A Gentle Bedtime Routine

Yoga for health 4 illustrations Updated 2 Nov 2026

Yoga for sleep uses slow, supported poses and long exhales to shift the body from the busy mode of the day into rest. Studies, including trials in older adults and people with insomnia, suggest that regular gentle yoga can improve sleep quality, and many people find a short routine before bed helps them fall asleep faster.

Below are eight sleeping yoga poses, several of which you can do in bed, a 15 minute routine, the best breathing for sleep, and the signs that a sleep problem needs medical help.

Best poses: Forward folds, legs up the wall, reclined twist
Breath: Long exhales, humming breath
When: 30 to 60 minutes before bed
Avoid at night: Fast flows, strong back bends, kapalbhati
Add: Yoga nidra, a dark and cool room
See a doctor: Insomnia for weeks, snoring with pauses

Yoga for sleep: 8 sleeping yoga poses with names

Balasana over a stacked pillow, about two minutes.
Seated forward fold on the bed with a pillow.
Reclined butterfly with cushions under the knees.
Happy baby, gently rocking.
Reclined twist with a pillow between the knees.
Legs up the wall or headboard.
Knees to chest, a gentle hug.
Shavasana with a slow body scan.

These sleeping yoga asanas are slow and supported; none of them should feel like effort.

Yoga for sleep in pictures

Legs up against the headboard while lying in bed as a bedtime yoga pose — Level
All levels
Hold
3 to 5 minutes
Works on
Legs, calm
Legs up against the headboard or wall is one of the most relaxing sleeping yoga poses, and it can be done in bed.
**Teacher's cue:** Feel the legs grow heavy as the belly relaxes.

Reclined twist in bed with a pillow between the knees for gentle relaxation — Level
All levels
Hold
1 to 2 min a side
Works on
Spine
A reclined twist with a pillow between the knees releases the back after a long day.
**Teacher's cue:** Breathe into the side of the ribs facing the ceiling.

Seated forward fold in bed resting the head on a pillow stacked on the legs — Level
All levels
Hold
1 to 2 minutes
Works on
Back, calm
A seated fold with a pillow on the legs lets the head rest. Forward bends are calming before sleep.
**Teacher's cue:** Let the head be heavy on the pillow.

Gentle happy baby pose on the bed, holding the feet and rocking side to side — Level
All levels
Hold
1 minute
Works on
Hips, lower back
Rocking gently in happy baby pose releases the lower back and hips before sleep.
**Teacher's cue:** Sway slowly from side to side, like a boat on still water.

A 15 minute yoga for better sleep routine

Dim the lights and silence the phone. Start in child pose for two minutes, then sit for a forward fold. Lie back for reclined butterfly, then rock gently in happy baby. Twist to each side, then rest the legs up the wall or headboard for five minutes. Finish under the covers with three minutes of slow breathing and a body scan. This sleep yoga routine fits into the 30 minutes before lights out.

Breathing for sleep

Lengthen the exhale: take four counts in and let six or eight counts go out. A few rounds of soft humming, as in bhramari, help many people quieten racing thoughts. The 4-7-8 pattern on the breath pacer is another option. Avoid fast breathing such as kapalbhati in the evening. A hand gesture from mudra for sleep can be added.

Yoga for insomnia: what to know

Yoga for insomnia works best combined with sleep habits: fixed sleep and wake times, no screens before bed, a dark cool room, and limiting tea and coffee after midday. Guided yoga nidra is particularly useful for people who lie awake with a busy mind. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, available through doctors and psychologists, is the most effective treatment for chronic insomnia.

Yoga for good sleep is mostly about consistency: the same short routine at the same time every night teaches the body when to wind down.

When to see a doctor

Ask a doctor for help when bad nights stretch past a month, when a partner notices loud snoring with silent gaps, or when you wake choking, nod off in the day, or lie awake with worry or sadness. These can signal treatable conditions.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a diagnosed condition, are pregnant, recently had surgery or take regular medicine, ask your doctor which practices suit you, and stop at any sharp pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.