Our day-to-day lives can feel stressful and hectic, which in turn may affect our quality of sleep. If you find yourself unable to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night, try these poses before bed!

Our day-to-day lives can feel stressful and hectic, which in turn may affect our quality of sleep. If you find yourself unable to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night, try these poses before bed!

1.Viparita Karani​ (legs up the wall): support yourself with some folded towels or a bolster. Rest your legs vertically against a wall or another upright support. Stay anywhere between 5-15 minutes in this pose.

2. Balasana​: kneel on the floor, with your feet touching. Spread your knees about hip-width and lay down your torso in-between. Stretch your arms out in front of you and lay your palms flat on the floor. You may hold this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. This is also known as child’s pose.

3. Baddha Konasana​: sit with your legs bent and your feet together. Bring your heels as near to your pelvis as possible. Hold your feet (ankle or shin works too), and tilt your pelvis forward so that you are leaning toward the floor. Keep your shoulders back and chest broad. For a deeper stretch, press elbows into legs. You may hold this pose for 1-5 minutes.

 4. Constructive Rest​: Lay flat on the floor with your knees bent. Loosen your hips and lay your hands on your stomach. For an alternative method, you can bend your legs on top of an elevated surface (like a couch or a large pillow). You can stay in this position for as long as 20 minutes.

Yoga Nidra​ is also especially helpful for those who find it hard to fall asleep. It is a yoga practice commonly utilizing a guided meditation, which creates a state of consciousness in-between sleeping and waking. It will put one into the “falling asleep” stage. There is evidence that it also helps relieve stress. If this is something that sounds beneficial to you, our therapists recommend this website for guided meditations.