I read this article the other day about how light exercise before bed can actually help you sleep better! After a hard day, the last thing we want to do is work out, but it’s true! Well, yoga is pretty much as low-key as you can get. Plus, it’s highly customizable so you can just do relaxing poses. I decided to look more into why light exercise like yoga can help you wind down.  

How does yoga help you relax?

Yoga helps your mind relax: Yoga is a very calming practice. After a long day of having your mind bombarded with info from every which way, it can be intensely relaxing to focus on, well, nothing for a bit! Yoga helps quiet down the chatter of the mind. 

Yoga can help with insomnia: Okay, this one is super exciting. Yoga has been shown in studies to actually help insomnia! If you have trouble falling asleep at night, a gentle routine before bed may be just what the doctor ordered!

Yoga helps your sleep quality: Yoga can improve your sleep quality and help you fall back asleep more easily if you wake up in the middle of the night. It also helps you get more deep sleep. 

Yoga loosens up tight muscles: It’s hard to relax when your muscles are all tense and tight! Yoga gently stretches muscles that are on edge from a long day of activity.

Yoga improves blood flow: Improved blood flow means better, more restful sleep!

Yoga can be part of a routine: Routines help your mind and body better prepare for sleep. If you make nighttime yoga a daily thing along with whatever other things you like to do at night, it can help you sleep better.

Yoga poses for relaxation

Here are some of our fave yoga poses to add to your evening flow!

Child pose

Supine twist

Locust pose 

Bridge pose

Seated forward bend

Butterfly pose

And we’ll end with: Corpse pose! You’re laying on the floor taking it all in. Spend as long as you want in this pose; feel the stretch in your back and focus on getting in some deep, restorative breaths during this time.

Don’t forget your towel to pat off after your wind-down yoga routine!