Yes, you can do yoga at night for better sleep, but the practice must be specifically tailored to relaxation rather than physical exertion. Nighttime yoga differs significantly from a morning or daytime session because the intention shifts from building energy and strength to facilitating rest and recovery. This evening practice is designed to prepare the mind and body for sleep by encouraging a state of calm. The goal is to utilize gentle movement and breath to signal that the active part of the day is over.
Shifting Focus: Calming the Nervous System
The effectiveness of evening yoga for sleep lies in its ability to shift the nervous system from a state of alertness to one of repose. Throughout the day, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) dominates, managing the body’s “fight or flight” response to daily stressors and activity, which includes increasing heart rate and releasing the stress hormone cortisol. A mindful, gentle yoga practice works to dampen this response and activate the opposing system.
The goal is to engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), often called the “rest and digest” system, which regulates functions like digestion, restoration, and healing. This activation is achieved through stimulating the vagus nerve, the main pathway of the PNS. Slow, controlled breathing techniques inherent in yoga directly stimulate this nerve, which in turn helps lower the heart rate and blood pressure.
By activating the PNS, yoga helps reduce circulating cortisol levels, the hormone that keeps the body energized and awake. This physiological down-regulation creates a calm internal environment, making it easier to transition into a state conducive to sleep.
Gentle Poses for Evening Relaxation
The practical application of nighttime yoga involves selecting poses that are low-effort and deeply grounding, supporting the shift toward rest. Styles like Restorative and Yin yoga are most suitable, as they emphasize holding poses for longer durations with minimal muscular engagement. The use of props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks is encouraged to fully support the body, allowing muscles to release tension without strain.
Forward folds are particularly helpful as they are naturally calming and can quiet the mind by bringing the head below the heart. A seated forward fold, such as Paschimottanasana, can be modified with a bend in the knees and a rounded spine, allowing the entire back of the body to release. Poses that gently open the hips and lower back can also release tension commonly stored there from sitting throughout the day.
Supported poses are also highly effective, such as Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana), where the soles of the feet touch and the knees drop out to the sides. Lying on your back with a bolster placed beneath the spine or under the knees offers passive opening and deep rest. Gentle twists, like a simple Reclining Twist, enhance relaxation by further releasing the spine and nervous system. A final pose like Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani) is restful and helps blood return to the heart, concluding the practice with a sense of ease.
High-Energy Practices to Skip
To ensure your evening yoga practice supports sleep, it is important to strictly avoid any practices that counteract the goal of nervous system down-regulation. High-energy styles such as Vinyasa flow, Power Yoga, or Hot Yoga are designed to build heat, increase heart rate, and stimulate the body. Engaging in these vigorous activities too close to bedtime will activate the sympathetic nervous system, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
Specific stimulating postures are also counterproductive, including intense backbends, which elevate the chest and heart, and inversions like Handstand or Headstand. These postures are activating and can increase mental alertness, interfering with the body’s natural melatonin production.
Stimulating breathing techniques, or pranayama, must also be avoided, such as Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath) or fast, forceful inhalations and exhalations, as these are intended to energize the system. The focus for a sleep-promoting practice must remain on slow, gentle, and passive movements, prioritizing long exhalations.