15 Bedtime Yoga Tips for Better Sleep

If you are tired of tossing, turning, and struggling to fall asleep at night, you are not alone. About one in three U.S. adults don’t get enough sleep, and tens of millions report insomnia or other sleep troubles[1]. If you’re feeling frustrated with your sleep, it might be time for you to try a simple, science-backed solution: yoga. Many studies have shown that a regular evening yoga routine makes it easier to fall asleep, reduce waking up at night, and overall improves the quality of your sleep[2]. We’ve collected the best tips and techniques that can further boost the potency of a bedtime yoga practice.

Pre-Yoga Tips

Any simple shifts in your bedtime routine—dimming lights, stowing screens, finishing small tasks—help to deregulate your nervous system and make your yoga practice more effective. You can use one or more of the following suggestions to create a wind-down routine before you get on your yoga mat.

1. Wrap Up Chores

Finish all your routine chores as early as possible in the evening. When you complete stimulating tasks (emails, bills, etc.) and cross off important items from your to-do list, you usually will let go of that worry and stress. But try to not rush through these chores. Instead, try to practice mindfulness when completing them.

2. Be Mindful of Food and Drink

Your eating and drinking choices before bedtime yoga will affect how comfortable and effective your practice will be. Consider making small shifts in timing, portion size, and what you consume. Try to finish your last meal 2–3 hours before your yoga session. Keep evening meals smaller and lighter than daytime meals. Large, fatty, or spicy meals stay in the stomach longer and can cause reflux and restless sleep. If you can’t manage waiting this long, then choose a light, easy-to-digest snack 45–60 minutes before practice.

Sip water throughout the evening to stay hydrated, but reduce large volumes right before yoga. Avoid very cold drinks right before practice as cooler temperatures can be stimulating for some people. Room-temperature or warm beverages are often more calming and soothing.
Establish an early caffeine cutoff. Cutting out caffeine in the early to mid-afternoon will help you sleep better at night. Experiment to find the cutoff time that allows for the best rest.

Avoid alcohol before practicing. Although it can make you feel drowsy, alcohol reduces sleep quality, fragments sleep, and can increase waking up later in the night. If you choose to drink, keep it very minimal and allow several hours before your bedtime yoga practice.

3. Take an Evening Walk

A 10–20 minute stroll after your evening meal clears mental clutter, improves circulation, and supports healthy digestion. Consider incorporating the mindfulness principles of walking yoga on your post-dinner stroll. Choose a quiet and calming route with minimizing distractions if possible. Walk at an intentional pace—one that feels purposeful yet peaceful.

4. Set Up or Clean Your Practice Space

Ideally, have a dedicated yoga practice space that feels cozy, calm, and uncluttered. Tidy up the space before your practice. Using a soft lamp or candles, a light blanket, and some gentle music will support a tranquil transition to sleep.

5. Limit Screens and Bright Light

Use dim, warm lighting in your home and especially in your practice space. Softer hues like red or amber interfere less with your body’s natural melatonin production than cool white or blue lights. The blue light from screens can interfere with sleep. Try to shift away from all screens for at least 30–60 minutes before bed. Consider listening to an audiobook or podcast instead. Put your phone on “do not disturb” and consider leaving it out of your bedroom and yoga practice space.

6. Tea Ritual

Before your practice, sit and slowly sip a warm herbal cup of tea. Make each sip deliberate, soothing, and meditative. Lavender, chamomile, valerian root, and passionflower are great choices for their calming effects.

7. Spiritual Reading

Reading a brief, spiritual passage from a yogic text like the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, or the Upanishads, encourages contemplation, inspiration, and insight. You can also consider texts from modern yogic teachers and translators—authors like T. Krishnamacharya, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Satchidananda, or other contemporary teachers you trust. Read slowly and savor each word, meaning, and teaching. Then, spend a minute or two in quiet contemplation to let the words settle in before moving into your practice.

8. Journaling

An evening journaling practice is a great addition to your evening routine to reflect on the day and encourage feelings of accomplishment, gratitude, and closure. Consider jotting down three things you’re letting go of, or three things that went well from the day. Or check out our list of mindful journaling prompts to provide some inspiration on what to journal about. Let the closing of your journal symbolize the closing of your day.

Bedtime Yoga Tips

Below are practical tips you can use to apply and adjust your evening practice for maximum benefit. You can freely mix and match these; try a few, notice what helps, and keep the ones that guide you most reliably into rest.

1. Set an Intention

At the start of your practice, consider choosing a simple intention that aligns with your desire for a restful night. Keep it short, simple, and sweet. It could be a single word like “soften,” “relax,” or “let go.” Return to this intention throughout your practice as an inner guide and teacher.

2. Use Calming Breathing Techniques

Begin or end your session with two to five minutes of pranayama or diaphragmatic breathing to soothe your nervous system. Try one or more of some soothing breathing exercises like Dirga (Three-Part Breath), Nadi Sodhana (Alternate-Nostril), or Sama Vritti Pranayama (Equal Breath).

3. Meditation

A few minutes of meditation before or after your yoga practice will further calm the mind, reduce rumination, and make it easier to fall asleep. While any type of meditation is great, consider trying a blindfold meditation. By removing light and visual distractions with an blindfold or eye mask, you increase concentration and better prepare your mind for a deep night’s rest. Or consider listening to a guided meditation as you lie in bed to sweetly transition you to sleep.

4. Keep Things Slow and Easy

If you need to burn off some stress with a quick-paced vinyasa sequence, practice an hour or more before bedtime. Otherwise, practice a simple sequence of calming yoga postures right before you want to crawl into bed. Focus on seated and floor-based asanas. Twists will wring out tension, and forward folding poses are calming to the nervous system. Move super slowly between poses and keep your breath slow and deep.

5. Use Props and Restorative Asanas

Use bolsters, pillows, blocks, and folded blankets to support your body and make your practice easeful. Consider practicing one or more restorative yoga poses, especially at the start or end of your sequence. Finish your practice with an extra-long shavasana (relaxation pose). You can crawl into bed and practice this asana under the covers for a smooth transition into sleep.

6. End with a Yoga nidra or Sound Bath Meditation

Instead or in addition to ending with a long shavasana, listening to a short Yoga Nidra (guided deep rest), or a sound bath meditation can put you into an even deeper state of relaxed bliss. Insight Timer has a large selection of free audio recordings of Yoga Nidra meditations and sound bath meditations you can use.

7. Observe What Works for You

Keep track of which tips and techniques are the most effective to support your practice and promote a good night’s rest. Repeat what works but still continue to explore and experiment. You may find different practices work best with different emotional or mental states. Trust your inner wisdom to guide you toward what you need each evening.

Closing Thoughts

Sweet dreams await those who practice with dedication, compassion, and patience. Sleep challenges rarely develop overnight, so they probably won’t disappear instantly either. But with regular practice, you’ll likely notice subtle shifts—falling asleep easier, waking less frequently, or simply feeling more rested upon rising.

May your evenings become a sacred transition, your yoga a bridge to peaceful rest, and your sleep a deep well of restoration and renewal.

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