Sequence · 15 min
Fifteen-Minute Wind-Down for Sleep
Five poses, no effort, and a longer rest than most people give themselves. The aim is not to stretch anything; it is to give the breathing rate twenty minutes to come down before you get into bed.
- 01
Mountain PoseTāḍāsanaStand and let the day drain downward through the feet. Lights low if you can. - 02
Standing Forward FoldUttānāsanaKnees generously bent; this is a hang, not a stretch. - 03
Child's PoseBālāsanaKnees wide, forehead supported, ten slow breaths with the exhale longer. - 04
Bridge PoseSetu BandhāsanaBlock under the sacrum; let the block hold the shape while the legs let go. - 05
Corpse PoseŚavāsanaBlanket over the body, knees over a bolster if the lower back prefers it.
Why the order runs backwards
| If you have | Do this | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Five minutes | Child's pose (3 min) and Savasana (2 min) | Everything else |
| Ten minutes | Child's pose, supported bridge, Savasana | The two standing poses |
| Fifteen minutes | All five poses as listed | Nothing |
| A sore lower back | Child's pose with a bolster, Savasana with knees up | The standing fold |
Most sequences build toward the hardest pose. This one starts standing and gets progressively more supported, so that by the time you reach the floor you never have to get up again. Nothing here raises the heart rate, and nothing is held long enough to be stimulating.
The supported bridge in the middle is doing something specific: it opens the front of the body, which is where most people hold the shape of a day spent hunched over a screen. Done over a block rather than held by the muscles, it is closer to a rest than an exercise.
What not to do before bed
Do not turn this into a stretching session. Deep, intense stretching raises arousal for some people and makes falling asleep harder — the same reason a hard workout late in the evening keeps some people awake. Stay at maybe half of your available range and let the longer holds do the work.
Do not check your phone between poses. The light and the content both work against the point of the sequence, and the effect is large enough to cancel the twenty minutes you just spent.
This sequence is informational only, not medical advice, and not a substitute for a teacher who can see you move. Skip any step that hurts, and check with a clinician about injuries, pregnancy or recent surgery.