The 4 Best Relaxing Exercises to Do Before Bedtime
If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, you may want to consider incorporating these four relaxing exercises into your nighttime routine before you crawl into bed. Each of these exercises will help you to relax, unwind and de-stress from the day’s events. By doing this, you can help to ensure that you drift off to sleep more easily and stay asleep longer throughout the night without waking up frequently during the night. These exercises are also excellent for helping those who suffer from insomnia due to stress, worry or anxiety caused by job stress, family life or financial problems.
1) Mindful Breathing
Just taking a few minutes every night before bed to focus on slow, deep breathing helps your mind slow down and readies you for sleep. Set a timer for five minutes and focus solely on inhaling and exhaling through your nose. If your mind starts wandering, bring it back to that breathing pattern. You’ll soon be ready for bed.
2) Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a type of yoga-based exercise that can help you de-stress before bed. Lie down in a comfortable position and think about tensing and relaxing each part of your body one at a time, starting with your toes and working up through your scalp, shoulders, arms, abdomen, chest, hands and feet. Repeat each step three times before moving on to another section of your body.
3) Yoga
Yoga is one of the most popular exercises in America. It can be practiced by people of all ages and provides countless benefits for those who practice regularly. These benefits range from stress reduction to improved flexibility, but its applications don’t stop there. Yoga has a lot of hidden benefits that many people don’t know about until they’ve been practicing for some time. The following are just four relaxing yoga poses that provide relaxation before bed
4) Visualization Exercise
It might sound a little woo-woo, but visualizing your body calming down as you drift off to sleep can help you relax. If it’s hard for you to meditate or visualize when your mind is racing, try doing it as soon as you get into bed: close your eyes and picture yourself slowing down. Imagine what it feels like for your heart rate and breathing to drop slightly; with each deep breath that you take, imagine yourself relaxing more.