Yoga & Sleep: A Holistic Approach To Rest
Sleep isn't just about switching off. It’s a powerful biological reset that impacts everything from your energy and immunity to your mood and mental clarity. But in today’s world, deep rest is becoming harder to access. Yoga offers a holistic, time-tested approach to sleep hygiene that doesn’t just target symptoms, but rather, supports your whole system. From calming your nervous system to helping you develop healthy wind-down rituals, yoga creates the inner conditions where sleep can naturally arise, without forcing or numbing the body into rest.
One of yoga’s most potent tools for rest is yoga nidra, which means “yogic sleep.” When we practice yoga nidra, we use a guided practice that allows you to drop down into the subconscious space between sleep and wakefulness. In this state, the body becomes relaxed while the mind remains aware, and seeds of intention are placed in the rich soil of your subconscious. Yoga nidra has been shown in studies to reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and even influence brainwave activity. The Bihar School of Yoga describes it as a process that releases muscular, emotional, and mental tension, which allows you to enter a space where true rest can happen.
Pranayama (sometimes called breathwork) is another easy and helpful way to prepare the body for sleep. Techniques like nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) or chandra bhedana (lunar breathing) activate the parasympathetic nervous system - your body’s “rest and digest” response that provides the backdrop for relaxation. Studies have shown that slow, diaphragmatic breathing helps reduce cortisol levels and improve heart rate variability, and just a few minutes of conscious breathing before bed can help you shift from a state of high alert to one of ease.
Movement also plays a key role in preparing for sleep. Gentle, grounding poses like supta baddha konasana (reclined butterfly), viparita karani (legs-up-the-wall), or a slow evening yin sequence help release the physical tension we unconsciously hold throughout the day. Combining a physical practice with mindfulness or even a guided meditation allows your movement to become ritual, rather than exercise. You don’t need to spend an hour on the mat (although practicing yin yoga via livestream then rolling into bed is such a luxury) - just 5-10 minutes can make a profound difference to your rest.
One of the biggest modern barriers to good sleep is overstimulation. Unfortunately for us, in 2025 we’re surrounded by screens, notifications, blue light, and constant mental input. Yogic philosophy calls this frenetic energy rajas - the quality of restlessness and activity that can keep the mind spinning long after the body is tired. Practices like pratyahara (sense withdrawal) encourage us to create space from the outer world and return inward. Yoga gives us tools to counter that overstimulation, by dimming the internal light, quietening the internal noise, and re-establishing the rhythms of rest and wakefulness that our bodies so desperately need.