Can’t sleep? These YouTube yoga practices will help you get real rest.

When you can’t sleep, the world can seem like a much less bearable place. If sleepless nights are a normal occurrence in your universe, then this is where practice along with a carefully chosen yoga-for-sleep video comes in. These exercises are active enough to engage your awake mind, but gentle enough to induce a calmer, sleepier state. Whatever the reason for your after-hours alertness, trying yoga for insomnia can be a proactive alternative to tossing and turning.

And no, we’re not just talking about yoga nidra, a guided meditation that puts you in a deeply relaxed, dream-like state, although that is certainly an option. The following flows encourage rest, with an emphasis on breathing, recovery and an overall sense of calm, making sleep your natural next step.

5 YouTube Yoga for Insomnia Practices

Stop endless scrolling. The options below will help you find the ideal yoga class length, style and teacher that suits you most. Overall, these video exercises are intended to quiet your thoughts and calm your body, allowing you to access a more restful state. Prepare for some zzzs.

1. Relaxation yoga | 12-minute yoga before bed | Yoga with Adriene

Racing thoughts and persistent stress can make healthy sleep seem like a distant dream. This practice from Yoga With Adriene invites you to get out of your head and into your body. Simple poses, including Cat and Cow, Reclined Twist and (of course) Savasana, invite your entire being to relax.

Unwind before going to bed.

2. 5 Minute Yoga for Better Sleep (Bedtime Yoga for Insomnia) | Yoga With Bird

Improving your sleep quality doesn’t have to mean overhauling your entire nighttime routine. Sometimes a simple 5 minute flow is all you need. Yoga With Bird combines variations on the Child’s Pose with lying twists and simple stretches to give you just that.

Relax for deeper rest.

3. Yoga for a relaxing night’s sleep | Jess Yoga

No, you don’t have to get out of bed to practice yoga to sleep. Deep breathing, gentle stretching and massage exercises and supported forms release tension during this practice with Jess Yoga, creating space for rest.

Practice in bed.

4. Yoga stretch before bed | Sarah Wes

This restorative practice from Sarah Wes looks and sounds like a dream and sets the tone for a serene and surreal bedtime flow. The flow is also the most active of the bunch, ideal for those who literally need to strive for silence. Practicing postures such as Downward Facing Dog, Seated Forward Bend and Cow Face Pose make room for real relaxation and invite you to sleep without mental and physical tension.

Stretch away your stress.

5. Yoga Nidra for Sleep | Ally Boothroyd

If the meditative nature of yoga nidra appeals to you, this audio-only option might be your new lullaby. Swap your usual late-night podcast, playlist or audiobook for Ally Boothroyd’s two-hour meditation, which is designed to effortlessly pull you into a completely unconscious sleep, although you may pause for a ‘yoga sleep’ along the way.

Meditate your way to better sleep.