By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Those of us who have spent torturous hours tossing and turning in bed, or who wake up in the middle of the night with a head full of thoughts unable to get back to sleep know the power of hitting the hay with a calm and restful mind. Though managing your stress throughout the day and having a really good pre-bedtime routine go a long way towards improving sleep in the longterm, you can commit to just 5 minutes of relaxing stretches to sleep better TONIGHT.

This sequence calms the mind and relaxes the body, priming you for a restful night.  Best of all, you can do it in bed… No mat required!  Spend at least one minute in each posture, though longer is better!

1. Seated Twist: This detoxifying posture helps with digestion (which in turn helps you sleep deeper) and calms the nervous system. Repeat on each side.

2. Legs-up-the-Wall: This posture is amazing for relaxation, alleviating headaches and muscle cramps, and decreasing water retention.

3. Child’s Pose: Relieves back, neck and hip tension, soothes the mind, decreases stress, and is awesome for deep sleep.

4. Reclining Butterfly:  This soothing posture helps to reduce stress, improve mood, stimulate digestion, and is great for opening you up to intimacy as well!

5. Savasana: This classic posture is super relaxing for both mind and body, relieves stress, and promotes deep and restful sleep.  To further increase relaxation, you can do a body scan in this pose, bringing awareness to each part of your body from your feet all the way up to your head.  I’m usually asleep before I complete the scan!

Of course, no amount of yoga will help you sleep sweetly on an uncomfortable mattress.  So if your bed doesn’t beckon to you with cozy comfort, it’s time for an upgrade!  Check out the affordable and luxurious mattress from Casper and start sleeping like a champ!