Quick take
- For evenings when you are tired but wired, or when your back and hips are stiff from the day.
- You should feel heavier, warmer and slower breathing by the end. That is the goal.
- Do it 15 to 30 minutes before lights out, with the screens already put away and the room dim.
The routine
Dim the lights and put your phone in another room or face down out of reach, with the follow-along timer on a tablet or laptop if you want it. Every pose here is slow. Aim for exhales that last a little longer than your inhales, about four counts in and six out, and keep that pace the whole way through.
- Easy Seat 1 min Sit cross-legged against the headboard or on a pillow, hands resting on your thighs. Breathe in for four and out for six, and let your jaw and tongue go soft.
- Seated Side Bend 30 sec each side Rest your left hand beside you and arc your right arm up and over to the left. Breathe into the long right side of your ribs and keep both sitting bones down.
- Seated Twist 30 sec each side Place your right hand behind you and your left hand on your right knee, then turn gently to the right. Sit tall on the inhale and turn a few millimeters more only on the exhale.
- Child's Pose 1 min Knees wide, big toes together, and fold forward over a pillow so your forehead rests on it. Feel your back ribs widen as you breathe in.
- Butterfly Pose 1 min Sit up, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open, with pillows under them if they float high. Round forward only as far as feels restful and let your head hang.
- Knees to Chest 1 min Lie on your back and hug both knees in, hands on your shins. Rock slowly side to side so your lower back gets a small massage from the floor.
- Figure Four 45 sec each side Feet on the floor, cross your right ankle over your left thigh and keep the right foot flexed. Stay there, or draw the left knee toward you until you feel the outer right hip stretch.
- Supine Twist 45 sec each side Drop both bent knees to the left and stretch your arms out wide, with a pillow under the knees if they hover. Turn your head to the right only if your neck likes it.
- Legs Up the Wall 1.5 min Sit sideways to the wall or headboard, then swing your legs up as you lie back. Let your legs rest, hands on your belly, and feel it rise and fall.
- Corpse Pose 1.5 min Lower your legs, put a pillow under your knees and let your arms rest away from your sides, palms up. Stop managing the breath and let it find its own pace.
Why these poses
The sequence moves steadily downward: sitting, then folding, then lying on your back, then lying still. Each stage asks a little less of you than the one before, which is the opposite of a morning routine and the reason this one feels different.
The seated side bends and twists come first because a day of sitting, driving or standing leaves the torso compressed. Gentle movement in two directions eases that before you ask anything of the hips. Child's Pose then gives you the first real rest, with your forehead supported and the back body stretched.
Butterfly and Figure Four open the hips. Plenty of people carry the day's tension in the hips and lower back, and both poses let you stretch without any balance or effort. Knees to Chest and the Supine Twist release the lower back in the same lying position you will soon be sleeping in.
Legs Up the Wall and Corpse Pose are the cool-down. There is little firm research on specific poses and sleep, but slow breathing with longer exhales is linked with a calmer nervous system, and the NCCIH notes that some studies suggest yoga may help with sleep quality. The poses at the end are there to give you a few quiet minutes to breathe that way.
Make it easier or gentler
- Doing it in bed: skip Easy Seat on the floor and sit against the headboard. Soft mattresses make twists and Child's Pose feel deeper, so go a little less far.
- Hips very tight: in Figure Four, keep the bottom foot on the floor and let the stretch come from just crossing the ankle.
- Knees dislike Child's Pose: put a rolled towel behind your knees, or swap it for a longer Knees to Chest.
- No wall space: rest your calves on a chair seat or a stack of pillows instead of Legs Up the Wall.
Make it longer
This routine should not get harder, since effort before bed works against you. If you want more, make it longer: double the time in Figure Four and the Supine Twist, and stay in Legs Up the Wall for five minutes. You can also add Happy Baby after Knees to Chest for one minute.
Questions
What if I fall asleep halfway through?
Then it worked. If you did it on the floor and wake up cold at 2 a.m., do the last few poses in bed next time instead.
Can I do this right after dinner?
Wait an hour if you can. Twists and folds on a full stomach are uncomfortable. If time is short, skip the Seated Twist and Child's Pose and start with Butterfly.
Will this fix my insomnia?
Probably not on its own. A calming routine can help you wind down, but ongoing trouble sleeping is worth raising with a doctor, since it often has causes yoga does not touch.
Should I breathe in a special way?
Just make the exhale a bit longer than the inhale. If counting keeps you awake, drop the counts and simply let the out-breath be slow. The Breathing Basics page has more options.