When I was younger and living in NYC in my early twenties, I thought sleep was for suckers.
Maybe that’s not quite accurate.
I just didn’t think sleep was particularly important. What felt more important to me at the time was exploring the city after dark, hanging out with friends, and acting cooler than I was.
Nothing like becoming a parent to shift those priorities.
Now, I protect my sleep like the crown jewels of England. But because I am a mom of 3, sleep-averse kids, sometimes I don’t get to bed as early as I would like. Or I feel so amped up from trying to stay calm and non-screamy during dinner, then trying to wrangle my kids to get ready for bed, that I can’t just fall asleep.
Anyone else have that problem?
I’m not really one for yoga before bed. Usually, it actually amps me up even more.
I also used to sit in meditation when I got into bed to help me fall asleep. But mostly I’d just find myself wanting to lie down and actually be asleep instead of meditating, so I stopped.
All of that said, there are times when I am so wound up that I turn to movement to help calm my body and brain down. There are 3 poses that really do help me wind down and feel more calm and grounded before bed.
And while I cannot promise they’ll help you fall asleep, I can tell you they will help you feel more relaxed and calm which are 2 important ingredients for falling asleep more easily.
As an aside, if anyone does promise you that certain poses or meditations will help you fall asleep, that’s a red flag. No one can make you hard promises like that. They’re just trying to sell you a whole jar of snakeoil.
These 3 yoga poses are super simple. Best of all, they can easily be done in your bed. No mat needed!
A few other things I do to help feel more calm and grounded before bed:
I eat a fairly early dinner — usually no later than 6pm but I try to get us eating closer to 5pm. This one is a bit controversial, but in my experience, the later I eat, the longer I stay awake.
I don’t watch TV before bed. We don’t have a TV in our bedroom and we never will. If we do watch something at night, it’s before the kids fall asleep. But even then, we give them lots of time, post-TV, to wind down.
I don’t look at any social media before bed. While I might write some notes on my phone, I won’t go on instagram or facebook within an hour of when I want to sleep. Instead, I plan out the next day, sometimes over a cup of tea.
And of course, if I’m feeling fidgety, I do my go-to 3 yoga poses to help me fall asleep!
So if you need a little more relaxation and calm for your bedtime routine?
Check out these 3 poses and let me know what you think!
