Can Yoga Improve Sleep? Understanding the Connection
After a long day at work, picking up the kids and taking them to after-school activities, running errands, making dinner, and getting everything else done, you're finally ready for bed. But instead of falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, your mind keeps racing through tomorrow's to-do list, and your body still feels tense from the day.
You're tired. Exhausted. You can feel the lack of restful sleep catching up with you, both physically and mentally. You know that if you could get more, and better, sleep, you'd feel like the best version of yourself.
Can yoga improve sleep? If stress, physical tension, or a racing mind are keeping you awake, practicing yoga may help you relax and enjoy more restful nights. Some research confirms a connection between , making it a popular addition to a healthy bedtime routine.
In this article, we'll discuss the connection between your body, sleep, and the ways consistently practicing yoga may improve your night's rest.
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Understanding the Connection Between Your Muscles, Your Brain, and Sleep
Your brain and body are always working as a team. When you feel stressed, your brain activates the body's " response, releasing such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones make your muscles tense up to protect you. This reaction is useful in emergencies, but if stress sticks around, your muscles can stay tense even after things calm down.
This pattern can make it hard to get good sleep. , your mind is racing, your body stays on high alert, and tense muscles tell your brain that you are not relaxed. Instead of winding down for sleep, your nervous system stays active, which makes it tough to fall asleep and stay asleep. Studies show that stress and poor sleep affect each other, so one can make the other worse over time.
Think about the last time you went to bed after a stressful day. Did you pay that bill on time? Could you have been a better parent to your children? Is your boss going to give you a hard time for the amount of work you didn't get done yesterday? As these thoughts keep coming, your body gets more tense, and you end up tossing and turning when all you want is to fall asleep.
Looking for ways to ease both physical and mental stress can help you sleep better. This is where practices like yoga can make a difference.
Why Does Yoga Make You Sleep Better?
Research suggests that for some people. By combining gentle movement, stretching, controlled breathing, and mindfulness, yoga helps calm the mind and relax the body, two factors that play an important role in preparing for restful sleep.
Whether your lack of sleep is caused by physical discomfort, stress, or a racing mind, practicing yoga regularly can help you fall asleep more easily and improve your overall sleep quality.
In fact, research suggests that by promoting relaxation and helping regulate the body's stress response.
4 Ways Yoga Can Help Release Tension That Prevents Restful Sleep
#1: Yoga Can Help With Stress Management
Many people have trouble falling asleep because of stress. When you feel stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. These make it harder to relax, think clearly, and get ready for sleep.
One of the best ways to help is through yoga and meditation. Yoga combines movement, controlled breathing, and mindfulness, which can activate the , often called the "rest and digest" response.
These effects may help:
- Slow your heart rate.
- Regulate your breathing.
- Promote relaxation.
- Prepare your body for a more restful night's sleep.
How Stress Management Improves Sleep
Stress can really take a toll on your mental health and your . When you aren't able to relax at the end of the day, falling asleep and staying asleep can become more difficult.
One of the best ways to help overcome those sleepless nights is to begin . By helping you unwind before bed, yoga may support a more restful night's sleep.
#2: Yoga Can Help With Energy Clearing
Exposing yourself to negative energy is inevitable.
Whether you're an empath who can't stop thinking about how to better help others, or you've had a day filled with difficult situations like an argument with your partner, tension with a coworker, or the demands of caring for your family, those experiences can stay with you long after the day is over.
When you don't know how to process or clear that negative energy, it can affect your mood, mental clarity, and sleep. Through gentle movement, stretching, and mindful breathing, yoga can help you release emotional stress and physical tension.
In the Body & Brain philosophy, this process is known as energy clearing.
How Energy Clearing Improves Sleep
Holding on to the day's emotions, stress, and physical tension can make it difficult to fully relax at bedtime. Gentle movement, stretching, and mindful breathing can help shift your body out of a heightened state of alertness and into a more relaxed state that's better suited for sleep.
, in particular, has been found to reduce stress, support parasympathetic nervous system activity, and improve overall sleep quality.
#3: Yoga Can Help Relax Your Muscles
Yoga uses a combination of movements and stretches that can help improve flexibility, increase your range of motion, and promote healthy blood flow. These activities may also , helping your body relax.
Activities that combine deep breathing and stretching, such as yoga, may help:
- Reduce stress
- Ease muscle tension or stiffness
- Improve joint mobility
- Lessen physical discomfort
Practicing yoga regularly can improve flexibility, , and promote relaxation. Together, these benefits may help you feel more comfortable at bedtime and better prepared for a restful night's sleep.
How Having Relaxed Muscles Improves Sleep
Muscle tension, pain and sleep are closely linked. Tight muscles can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. If you don’t sleep well, you might feel more pain the next day, which can turn into a tough cycle. , wake up during the night, and struggle with insomnia.
Practicing yoga before bed is a great way to relax your muscles. As you move through each pose, pay attention to where you feel tense and try to soften those areas. Gentle stretching and relaxation can help ease muscle tightness and calm your mind, so they are helpful to include in your bedtime routine.
When your muscles begin to relax and physical discomfort subsides, you may find it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling more rested.
#4: Yoga Can Help Regulate Your Breathing
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, you may begin to without even realizing it. This keeps your body alert and can make it harder to unwind before bed.
Shallow breathing means less air in your lungs, causing you to use your chest muscles instead of your diaphragm. Over time, this can lead to more tension and make it harder for your body to relax. Gentle, , also called “abdominal breathing,” helps your body get more oxygen and feel calmer. In Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi practice, this kind of breathing is called dahnjon breathing. Try it with this video:
Yoga helps you learn to control your breath by taking slow, deep breaths. Studies have found that this practice can steady your breath, ease physical tension, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you rest and relax. These effects can get your body and mind ready for sleep.
How Regulated Breathing Improves Sleep
As you get ready for sleep, your . But if you feel stressed or anxious, this can keep you alert instead of helping you relax.
Doing slow, steady breathing before bed can help lower your breathing and heart rates, making it easier for your body to relax. Research shows that can improve sleep quality, help you fall asleep faster, and lead to deeper rest.
Including mindful breathing to your yoga routine can make it easier to relax at night and get your body ready for a good night's sleep. Try this simple breathing routine to release stress before bedtime:
How Long Before Most People See Improvement With Sleep After Starting Yoga?
People experience yoga in different ways. Some feel more relaxed and sleep better after just one session. For most people, though, sleep gets better with regular practice over several weeks. Research shows that , but this can vary depending on the person’s health condition, and the length of time the person has regularly practiced yoga.
How soon you notice changes can depend on a few things, such as:
- Your sleep quality before starting yoga
- How often you practice yoga
- Your overall stress levels and physical tension
- Your evening habits, such as caffeine or alcohol consumption, heavy meals before bed, and screen time before bed
- Any underlying health conditions that may be affecting your sleep.
The most important thing is to be consistent. Practicing yoga regularly, rather than just once in a while, is much more likely to lead to lasting improvements.
*If you think underlying health conditions are negatively affecting your sleep, consult your health care provider before starting a yoga practice.
Discover How Yoga Can Improve Your Sleep With Body & Brain
combine traditional Korean energy practices with modern mind-body techniques to help you feel your best. With regular yoga practice, it’s possible to lower chronic stress, release tension, and develop healthy habits for better sleep.
If you’re looking to sleep better, reduce stress, or improve your health, check out the wide range of Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi wellness training:
- Energy Yoga classes
- Qigong & Tai Chi classes
- Rhythm & Vibration classes
- Private coaching sessions
- Wellness workshops
- U.S. & international meditation retreats.
With more than 70 locations nationwide, experienced Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi instructors are ready to help you build lasting wellness. Find an instructor near you or , and discover how yoga, breathwork, and meditation can help you sleep better and improve your overall well-being.
The content in this blog should not be used in place of direct medical advice or treatment and is solely for informational purposes.