Light exercise before bed helps to improve sleep; see list

Sleep should be a welcome break, but with our altered routines and an almost daily onslaught of anxiety-provoking news, many people are tossing and turning in bed. A study published in June in the journal Sleep Medicine revealed a 37% increase in clinical insomnia rates among adults in China before the peak of the pandemic.

Exercise can reduce the time it takes someone to fall asleep and the time they spend awake at night, according to several studies. It also increases the duration and quality of sleep. While experts suggest avoiding vigorous exercise within an hour of bedtime (they increase heart rate, body temperature, and adrenaline), stretching and meditative movement, such as yoga, improve sleep quality.

These types of exercises trigger the relaxation reaction, in which the body experiences a flood of calming hormones and physiological responses that calm the nervous system.

Here’s a short routine that can be a calming transition before bed. Grab a thick book or yoga block, two tennis or massage balls, and socks. For each exercise, take slow, deep abdominal breaths that emphasize and lengthen your exhalation. Breathing in this way strengthens the relaxation reaction.

cat and cow

Switching between cat and cow yoga poses releases tension in the upper back and neck and synchronizes breathing and movement, which begins to calm the body and mind. Get on all fours on the floor, with your hands in line with your shoulders and your knees with your hips.

As you inhale, lower your belly, push your chest forward and look up. As you exhale, tuck your chin towards your chest and round your spine. Move fluidly between the two poses so that with each inhalation you do the cow and with each exhalation you do the cat. Take three to five breaths.

child’s posture

The Child Pose releases tension in the back and shoulders, gently stretches the hips, and has an overall calming effect. Starting on all fours, sink your hips toward your heels and tuck your chest between your thighs. Your big toes should touch while your knees are wide enough to allow you to breathe deeply.

Move your hands forward along the floor, extending your arms. Your forehead can rest on the floor or, for a mini massage, place a tennis ball or massage ball under your forehead and gently roll from side to side. (This step stimulates an acupressure point that is believed to eliminate nervous tension.)

Thread ‘the thread on the needle’

This gentle twist releases tension in your shoulder and begins to stretch and loosen your lower back. Start on all fours, wrists in line with your shoulders and knees under your hips. As you inhale, raise your right arm up high, palm facing outward. Exhale and pass your right arm under your chest, supporting your shoulder on the floor. Turn your right palm to the sky and place your right face on the ground.

Keep your left palm pressing down into the earth or deepen the twist, bringing your left hand to your lower back. Hold for five breaths. Then, inhaling, rotate the right hand towards the sky for a smooth contraction. Exhale, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

do the low lunge

This exercise starts to open up the psoas muscle, the deepest muscle in the core, which connects the spine to the legs. The psoas helps move us forward when we walk or run, it supports the internal organs and connects to the diaphragm, directly affecting our breathing. Relaxing the psoas allows us to take deeper diaphragmatic breaths.

Return to the four supports. Advance your right foot between your hands and slide your left knee further back. Keep your hands on the floor, framing your front foot, or place them over your front knee. Take five to ten breaths like this and switch legs.

Massage into the neck with balls

This technique releases neck tension and stimulates the vagus nerve, the driving force behind the parasympathetic nervous system, which affects sleep and mood.

Lie on your back with a yoga block or thick book under your head. Turn your head to the right and place the ball at the top of your neck behind your ear. Take five deep breaths. Then gently nod “yes” and “no” three or four times each. Switch sides.

Bear hugs and angels in the snow

These two exercises open the chest, release tension in the back and shoulders, and counteract posture problems (poor posture has been shown to affect stress, mood, breathing, and circulation).

Lie on your back and place two tennis or massage balls between your shoulder blades at the top of your spine. (Tip: Using two massage balls in a bag or two tennis balls in a sock will keep them from rolling away.) Keep your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Rest your head on the floor and bring your arms out to the sides like cactus arms. Take three to five breaths like this. Then give yourself a hug, crossing your right arm over your left, and switch, crossing your left arm over your right. Repeat these bear hugs a few times.

Then bring your arms back to the cactus shape. Inhale and slowly extend your arms above your head. Exhale and lower your elbows to your waist. Repeat three to five times, trying to keep your arms on the floor throughout the movement. Lift your hips and roll the balls down your spine a few inches; repeat. Keep rolling the balls down your back and repeating the bear hugs and snow angels until you reach the middle of your back (where a bra strap or heart rate monitor would be).

Stretching in 4

This stretch, also known as the “pigeon bench press” in yoga, opens the hips, relieves pressure on the lower back, and counteracts excessive sitting and poor posture.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Cross your right foot over your left thigh, just above your knee. Stand there or hold the back of your left thigh and gently pull both legs towards you. Flex both feet and keep your left foot at knee height or higher. Hold for five to ten breaths and switch sides.

Knee to chest for spine twist

This combined movement stretches your hips and lower back.

Stretch your legs. Pull your right knee towards your chest as you interlace your fingers around your right shin and gently hug your knee to stretch your lower back and hips. Hold for three breaths. Release the knee and pass it over the left leg for a gentle spinal twist. Turn your gaze to the right. Hold for five to ten breaths and switch sides.

legs on the wall

This yoga pose stretches the calves, relieves lower back strain, and can reduce any swelling or cramping that may have built up from sitting or standing for long periods.

Sit your hips close to a wall. Bring your legs parallel to the wall as you lean back and place your upper body on the floor in an L shape. If your calves are tight, move your hips a few inches away from the wall or bend your knees slightly. For added support, you can also place a folded blanket or pillow under your lower back. This will lift your ass off the ground a bit. Bring your right index finger to your nose and gently close your right nostril.

Take five to ten slow breaths, inhaling and exhaling only through the left nostril, which reduces blood pressure, body temperature, and anxiety. Release your hand and breathe slowly and deeply through both nostrils. Then press your feet into the wall, lift your hips slightly and roll to the side. Stand on your side for a few breaths, giving yourself time to come out of this pose.

breath in the box

This powerful relaxation technique can help clear the mind and relax the body – US Navy personnel have been known to use it when their bodies are in fight-or-flight mode.

Climb into bed, lie on your back and rest your hands on your belly. Close your eyes and inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold the inspiration for four strokes. Exhale completely to the count of four, making sure all the air is out of your lungs. Go without breathing for four times. Repeat the process for three to five minutes.

It can be helpful to visualize yourself drawing the perimeter of a square; imagine going up one side of the box as you breathe in, across one side as you hold the air, down the other side of the box as you breathe out, and across the other side as you hold out.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves