Getting a decent night’s rest is a significant player in both your work and social life. There’s nothing worse than getting up in the morning feeling drained and unmotivated to begin your day. This comes from not committing time before bed to clearing your brain and unwinding your body. You don’t need to achieve inner peace every single night, but practicing simple yoga moves before bed will improve your circulatory health and bring you to a happy and calm place before drifting off to sleep.

“We live in such a fast-paced environment and our senses are always being stimulated, and that affects our nervous system,” says Vyda Bielkus, a yoga teacher and trainer and founder of Health Yoga Life. “The yogic technique of focusing on your breath can be helpful — the exhalation stimulates the nervous system to release …

[and] the poses also help us relieve tension from the physical body.”

Not only is yoga a great way for adults to combat sleepless nights, it’s calming effects work well with children too! Below are three examples of helpful posts by yoga practitioners who will set you up for success.

Fitwirr: 5 Bedtime Yoga Poses for Better Sleep

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Fitwirr has created a handy list of simple yoga poses that are accessible and quick for beginners and intermediates alike. What we love about this list is that they include an image and explanation of why these poses are ideal for a better night’s rest. For example, the “child’s pose” is  well known, but did you know that it is one of the most calming poses of them all?  “This pose helps alleviate knee, back, shoulder, and neck pain and provides mental and emotional relief when done with an open mind,” explains Fitwirr. “It also relaxes your spine which relieves tension and calms the mind.”

Yoga Journal: Bedtime Yoga: 12 Poses to Help Kids Sleep Better

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Coupling yoga and a night time story may be the secret to a deeper sleep for children. “What we’re looking for is a reset button for families,” says Gates, who founded Kid Power Yoga. “We have to teach our kids it’s okay to be disappointed. It’s okay to be sad, angry, happy, proud, excited. All of that is part of this human existence. But we need to be able, at the end of each day, with all those swirling experiences and emotions, to understand that we get to reset.”

Yoga With Adriene: Bedtime Yoga Sequence

If you want to commit to a more rigorous yoga set, try Yoga With Adriene’s popular relaxation routine which has been viewed over 2.5 million times! If you don’t want to commit to this full 40 minute sequence, a simpler 20 minute routine can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7SN-d4qXx0.

Positive Health Wellness:  Everything You Need to Know About Yoga & Pilates

Positive Health Wellness offers a terrific resource about Yoga & Pilates.  They explain the differences between both Yoga and Pilates and provide very helpful information about where to start.  The benefits of being able to exercise at home once you have mastered the basics are truly important, since many of us are so busy today, the only time we have is in the evening, or before the kids get home from school.  Going to a gym is not always possible, and being able to incorporate exercise into your daily routine has great benefits.

https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/fitness/everything-need-know-yoga-pilates/

Namaste!