Evening Yoga for Better Sleep: A 10-Minute Wind-Down

Trouble falling asleep is rarely a bedtime problem — it's a nervous system problem. If you go from screens and stress straight to the pillow, your body is still in daytime mode. This 10-minute routine acts as a buffer.

The wind-down sequence

Do this on your bed or a mat, lights dimmed. It's written out as the Bedtime Wind-Down practice with hold times if you'd rather follow it than remember it — and every one of these shapes also works in bed, which removes the last excuse.

1. Child's pose (2 min) — Knees wide, big toes touching, forehead down, arms extended or by your sides. Breathe into your back.
2. Supine twist, each side (2 min) — On your back, hug knees to chest, then drop them to one side. Arms wide, gaze opposite. One minute per side.
3. Legs up the wall (3 min) — Scoot your hips near a wall and rest your legs vertically against it. This is the single most calming pose in yoga.
4. Reclined butterfly (3 min) — On your back, soles of the feet together, knees falling open. Rest hands on your belly and switch to the breathing below.

The 4-7-8 breath

Inhale through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale slowly through the mouth for 8. Repeat four rounds. The long exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the physiological "off switch" that racing thoughts can't override.

What to avoid before bed

• Strong backbends and inversions — energizing, save them for morning.
• Anything strenuous — a raised heart rate delays sleep onset.
• Practicing with the lights on — dimness signals melatonin release; use it.

What makes it land harder

None of this is required, and none of it is a shortcut. But three cheap things change how these four poses feel: a bolster under the knees or spine so reclined shapes hold themselves, an eye pillow whose light weight settles the face muscles nobody notices they're clenching, and a sleep mask if your bedroom isn't genuinely dark. Cushions and a folded towel do the same job for free.

If the wind-down is a whole evening rather than ten minutes, Deep Rest is the longer, fully supported version, and restored collects everything built for a depleted week.

Consistency beats intensity

One night of this feels nice. Two weeks of it changes how you sleep. To keep the routine off your phone entirely, The Sleep Wind-Down Card puts it on a printable bedside card. And if you want a full library of evening sequences and guided breathwork — including audio-only versions for lights-off practice — check out our Deep Sleep Yoga program.