Yoga is a great way to unwind and relax before bed, but often it is helpful to have some expert guidance and a little bit of encouragement to get on our mats and practice. We have compiled the best bedtime yoga videos that are specifically designed for relaxing after work, winding down from a long day at school or work, and getting you into a calm state of mind so you can fall asleep easily. These videos are mostly short, sweet, and easy to follow, so they are very accessible after a long busy day. You don’t need any fancy equipment to practice these poses either—just grab a yoga mat, dim the lights and follow along!

14 Free Yoga for Bedtime Videos

If you’ve wanted to try evening yoga, then check out our list of our favorite bedtime yoga routines. We have sorted this list based on class time. You will find the shortest videos at the top of the list and the longest at the bottom. If you are a beginner or just short on time, choose a video at the top of the list. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which one works best with your schedule, experience, and goals. These YouTube videos will provide you with a safe, gentle, and effective practice to help you end your day and get ready for bed. Best of all, these are all free to watch!

Yoga for Sleep by Yoga With Bird

If you are short on time, check out this 5-minute practice to promote deep sleep and relaxation. The practice flows through just four poses: Child’s pose, Supine Tree, Knee Down Twist, and Happy Baby. She designed this simple and gentle practice to help you wind down after a long day and prepare for a good night’s rest.

Simple Stretches Before Bed by Breathe and Flow

Slow down, unwind and prepare for sleep with this 10-minute sequence that can be practiced in bed. You’ll begin seated with a few deep breaths in Easy Pose and progress with a few neck and upper body stretches. About midway, the practice moves onto the belly with a Sphinx pose, Crocodile and a deep shoulder stretch twist. The class ends on your back with some hip circles and Happy Baby pose.

Yoga for a Relaxing Night’s Sleep by Jessica Richburg

Make sure you have a pillow or two nearby before you start this very sweet 10-minute evening practice. Jessica notes that this sequence is best to do before bed—and it can be practiced on top of your bed so you can go to sleep immediately after. It begins with a short meditation and includes self-massage techniques and a series of relaxing seated poses. The practice ends with Shavasana pose.

Wind Down Bedtime Yoga by Yoga With Adriene

Simple, slow and easy to understand, this 12-minute session helps to release tension and stress, love your body, and allows you to relax and unwind. The intention of this class is to “give the thinking mind a break and relax the body” and to let go of anything you’ve been holding onto throughout the day. After a few Cat/Cow stretches and Child’s pose, the remainder of the practice comprises soothing supine poses like Knee Down Twist and Happy Baby.

Bedtime Yoga by Yoginimelbourne

This gentle seated sequence is a great way to wind down from the day and get ready for sleep. Take 12 minutes to follow along to destress, unwind, and prepare for a splendid night’s sleep. The practice focuses mainly on side bends and hip opening poses.

Relaxing & Easy Yoga Stretches Before Bed by SofaBar Fitness

Consider adding this 14-minute video to your nightly routine to help calm and clear your mind, maintain your flexibility, slow down, and prepare for sleep. The sequence begins seated and includes simple yet deep hip opening poses, hamstring stretches, and twists.

Yoga for Sleep by Cat Meffan

This 15-minute calming yoga sequence gently moves through a handful of mostly seated poses to stretch and unwind with in the evening. The use of fluid motion in the warmups and poses encourages the release of excess stress and energy. Twists and forward bending poses encourage calm and inner focus. The practice ends with a long Child’s pose and a short closing to prepare you for your day ahead.

Bedtime Yoga for Lower back, Hips & Knees by Yoga Song

This 15-minute video is perfect to encourage you to unwind, let go and relax after a long day. Find rest and relaxation in this slow mindful flow of just a few supine poses like Bridge, Knee Down Twist, Supine Pigeon, and Supine Bound Angle. The class ends with an affirmation of “I’ve done my best today and I’m ready to let go.”

Yoga For Sleep by YOGATX

If you are suffering from an overactive mind or insomnia, check out this calming class by certified yoga instructor Jen Hilman. This 17-minute sequence is designed especially to help you unwind, relax, calm down, center yourself, so you can get a good night’s rest. Suitable for beginner students, these basic floor poses gently stretch the hips, legs and low back. The class ends with a long Shavasana pose.

Evening Yoga Flow to Surrender & Let Go by Caren Baginski

This 20-minute evening yoga video is a great way to start your bedtime routine. It can help you unwind and relax your body and mind by encouraging you to “surrender and let go of burdens and troubles” that you’ve taken on during your day. The class includes some gentle forward bends, twists, and hip openers as well as other poses to ease tension and stress in the neck and shoulders.

Yoga for Sleep & Deep Relaxation by PsycheTruth

This lovely 20 Minute bedtime routine can help you relax, fall asleep faster and sleep better. It’s a simple, easy-to-follow sequence that incorporates some gentle postures, neck stretches and calming breathing techniques. This calming flow focuses on stretching and relaxing the hips, spine, and legs to help release any tension in the body.

Bedtime Yoga To Relax & Unwind by Boho Beautiful Yoga

This 24-minute evening yoga practice will help you focus on your breath, connect with your body, and prepare yourself for a deeper, restful sleep. It’s a perfect way to enhance the quality of your sleep and allow your body to heal and rejuvenate after a long day. This slow paced sequence gently guides you into a deep state of relaxation as you move through several twisting and hip opening poses.

Bedtime Yoga to Practice Presence by Baileyyyoga

This 25-minute relaxing evening yoga flow uses interesting and creative variations of slow gentle stretches and deep breathing to help you relax before bedtime. Bailey notes that this floor based sequence can be practiced on your bed if you wish. The class ends with a short seated meditation.

Evening Yoga for Better Sleep by Rituals

The intention of this evening sequence is to facilitate the transition from a busy and active day to a slow and calm evening. This 30-minute practice starts with a standing meditation in Mountain pose and moves through some gentle standing warm up movements. The rest of the class focus on twists and hip opening poses. It ends on the back with Bridge, Belly Twist, and Shavasana.

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When was the last time you fell into bed knowing that as soon as your head hit the pillow you would drift off into sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 60% of adults in the US get fewer than eight hours of sleep a night, and even more (around 70%) frequently experience trouble sleeping. However, a good night’s sleep is one of the most important happiness boosters. Sleeping well (and enough) increases well-being and reduces depression and stress levels. For a good night’s sleep and a serious happiness boost, add one or more of these nine practices to your bedtime yoga routine.

9 Practices to boost your bedtime yoga routine

1. Positive Reflections List

What we focus on affects how we feel. Focusing on the positive decreases depression and increases happiness. Writing down positive moments from the day can even help you sleep better. Before you go to bed, write down three things that went well during the day or that you are thankful for from the day. Be specific and reimagine the moment while you journal. Keep a dedicated small notebook for this list next to your yoga mat, or consider collecting them in a jar of awesome.

2. Sama Vritti Pranayama

The simple act of deep breathing can ease depression and stress. Breathing exercises also focus the mind away from stressors, calm it, and prepare it for sleep. Instead of lying awake worrying about the past or future, focus on deep breathing. To relax, try sama vritti (equal breathing) before bed. Breath in and out of the nose for an equal count. Start by counting to three and as you progress in your practice increase to four or five. Whichever breathing technique for sleep brings you joy and peace, focus all your attention on your deep breaths to help you wash away the thoughts and worries of the day.

3. Restorative Yoga

Set the mood for sleep with a restorative yoga practice to encourage relaxation. It’s a quiet, supported, and slow practice that promotes opening the body through the use of pillows, blankets, and long holds. Dim the lights, light candles, and try a few restorative yoga poses. A few of my favorites include supported Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana) on either a block or bolster, supported Child’s pose (Balasana), and Legs Up the Wall pose (Viparita Karani).

4. Forward Folding Poses

Forward folds can activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for relaxation. Incorporate several forward bending poses , such as Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) and Seated Head to Knee pose (Janu Sirsasana), into your bedtime yoga routine to calm the mind and promote rest. There are other bedtime yoga poses that can also be used to prep your body and mind for rest.

5. Extra Long Savasana

Corpse pose (Savasana) reduces stress and tension. Let your breath be steady and even as you imagine the stress melting away with each exhale as your body settles deeper onto your mat. Placing a bolster or several yoga blankets under your knees will encourage deeper relaxation. You might even practice this pose in bed to help you fall asleep!

6. Relaxing/Meditative Music

Listening to calming music helps us unwind and induces sleep like a lullaby. Experiment with different meditative tunes while deeply stretching inrelaxing poses or while sitting in meditation. When you find something you like, listen for at least 45 minutes before going to bed. A consistent routine of playing calming music will create a cue for your body and mind to relax and prepare for a restful night.

7. Warm Milk with Nutmeg

Ayurveda, a healing system developed in India, is often referred to as yoga’s sister science. In Ayurvedic practice, spiced milk or golden milk is often recommended for sleep. The warm milk beverage includes nutmeg, which is a mild sedative. It can also contain turmeric, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. Add a little honey for sweetness, heat up a glass, sip, and enjoy!

8. Massage

Massaging your feet and head reaps major relaxation benefits. The body’s energy channels (nadis) begin at the forehead between the eyes and end in the feet. Pressure points are also found here. So, a quick massage has big relaxation returns. Use a warm oil and massage both feet and the head or temples, then soak your feet in warm water.

9. Essential Oils

Essential oils may relieve anxiety and depression. Lavender essential oil may be linked to better sleep. You can dilute the oil in a carrier oil (sweet almond, apricot kernel, etc.) and massage into your temples, wrists, or feet. You may also choose to use a diffuser, letting the scent permeate your room. There are many essential oil blends for sleep that you can explore using.

Create your bedtime yoga routine

Any or all of these will help you relax in the evening and eventually sleep better and feel happier. Pick the practices that speak to you and try them. You can practice evening yoga whenever is best for your schedule. Many people find these calming practices work best done just before sleep. Other people use evening rituals to help them shift modes from work time to downtime. Once you fine the routine that works best for you, stick with it! A regular and established bedtime routine will produce the strongest benefits of evening yoga.

Bonus: when you wake up, you can also start the day with some morning yoga and use these nine practices to boost your morning routine.

Let us know how the practices you tried worked for you and what other techniques you use in your evening rituals to promote rest, rejuvenation, and deep sleep.

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When people think about yoga, they often think energizing sun salutations, and challenging poses that get your heart pumping. But for a lot of reasons, yoga is actually fantastic for winding down and lowering stress levels after a busy day. The reason is that a bedtime yoga routine not only relaxes your body but also your mind. With its focus on helping you stay in the present moment, and practices that promote deep, restful breathing, physical awareness, and other important things to help you develop good sleep practices. By practicing yoga before bedtime, you can achieve several benefits that will refresh your body, mind and spirit.

Evening yoga benefits

There are six primary reasons to practice 15-60 minutes of asana and pranayama before bedtime. With a dedicated and regular practice, you can experience one or more of the following benefits. You will see more benefits arise in your life as you lengthen and deepen your evening practice.

1. Reduces anxiety and worry

Yoga offers plenty of tools to help you cut down on stress, worry and anxiety. Incorporating deep breathing and meditation into your nightly yoga practice will encourage you to relax, and allow you to sleep through the night, no matter how stressful your daily routine is. There are several calming and soothing yogic breathing exercises that can allow you to relax before bedtime. If you wake up because of racing thoughts or anxiety, you can practice one or two pranayamas in your bed to help you fall back asleep.

2. Helps build a bedtime routine

Good sleep hygiene is essential for a good night’s rest. Sleep hygiene is adopting good habits and a nighttime routine that promotes sleeping and deep rest. A session of calming postures and slow deep breathing at the end of your day will send your body the signal that it’s time to wind down for the night, which will help you fall asleep easier. For best results, allow yourself to transition directly from your yoga mat to your bed.

3. Improves circulation

Slow deep stretching and mindful breathing before bed improves circulation which lowers blood pressure, helps prevent blood clots and balances out your energy levels. Healthy circulation also strengthens the immune system, detoxifies the body, and encourages cell regeneration. Good circulation of prana, blood and body fluids has a positive impact on your overall health, which in turn improves sleep.

4. Encourages weight loss

We know that daily exercise will help you lose weight and maintain a healthy body type. Practicing strengthening yoga postures will boost your metabolism to encourage burning more calories while you sleep. A healthy weight cuts down on heartburn and digestion troubles and improves heart health, which helps you sleep better. If you are using a more active practice to lose weight, it’s best to end with a longer Shavasana pose and meditation to encourage relaxation before bed.

5. Soothes sore muscles and joint pain

Slow deep stretching before bed is will relieve muscle tension, joint pain and night time aches. Many people experience body aches and pains after a hard day at work, especially people who work on their feet or sit at a desk a lot. If your body feels painful and uncomfortable, it will be difficult to fall asleep. Gentle yoga poses are one of the best methods for reducing pain and tension to allow a sound sleep. If you wake up due to body pain, you might even be able to practice one or two poses in your bed to help you ease the discomfort.

6. Reduces Insomnia

With all its emphasis on relaxation and mindfulness, it’s easy to see how a regular yoga routine will help you build restful habits that allow you to sleep, and stay asleep, regularly. Deep, restful sleep, thanks to the good circulation and good sleep habits of regular routine, will improve your health, and your overall quality of life. A yogic lifestyle and regular meditation further helps reduce insomnia and improve sleep.

Best Poses Before Bed

Just like there are certain yoga poses that work best to bring your energy up in the morning, there are some that are naturally designed to relax your body and mind, which makes them perfect for yoga before bed. Relaxing postures, such as forward bends, restorative poses, and poses that help you breathe deeply, are best.

Besides increasing your chances of getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, the yoga poses below will help you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake up feeling more rested than ever before.

As these poses are the most effective asanas to promote calm and deep sleep, they should be held for several minutes with slow deep breathing. Practicing additional poses from our Yoga Poses for Insomnia list is recommended. You can practice other active asanas, just be mindful of minimizing any energizing poses and placing these at the beginning of your sequence.

Playing some soft music and using calming essential oils will further encourage you to relax. Take time to meditate before or after your evening practice, to further promote restful sleep, and peace of mind throughout the night. A regular yoga practice is the best way to reap all of these great benefits of yoga and improve your quality of sleep.

Nighttime yoga drawbacks

There aren’t many concerns for practicing yoga before bed as long as you practice safely and mindfully. If certain yoga poses stimulate your mind or body too much and disturb your sleep quality, then minimize or avoid these asanas altogether, or practice yoga earlier in the evening. Adding additional time for meditation and calming breathing techniques should be helpful to balance out any stimulating effects of your evening yoga practice.

Conclusion

The breathing, stretches, and relaxation yoga at night offers have many wonderful benefits—most importantly, yoga helps you reduce stress and wind down after a long busy day. A few minutes of yoga is one of the best things to help your body and mind prepare for a good night’s rest.

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