Doing These 5 Stretches Before Bed Could Help You Fall Asleep Faster

If you’re looking to get a good night’s sleep, you might want to stretch before climbing into bed.

Gentle stretching can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which gets us into the “rest-and-digest” mode that’s ideal for dozing off, says Andrea Matsumura, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine based in Portland, Oregon. “It helps to release neurotransmitters like acetylcholine that really help to relax us,” she says. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals from one nerve cell to another; acetylcholine slows the heart rate and promotes sleep.

1. Upper Trapezius Neck Stretch

Sit on the edge of your bed or a chair. Wrap your left arm behind your back as far as it comfortably goes, then gently drop your right ear toward your right shoulder. You should feel a gentle stretch along the left side of your neck. Hold here and try to drop your right ear lower with each exhale. For a deeper stretch, add a little pressure by placing your right hand on the top of your head. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, then switch sides. Do two to three sets.

2. Doorway Lunge

Stand in a doorway with your forearms on either side of the frame and your elbows at the same height as your shoulders so that you make an L shape with your arms. Step a back 1 to 2 feet with one foot. With your chin slightly tucked, shift your weight forward, leading with your sternum (breastbone) until you feel a gentle stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, then switch sides. Do two to three sets per side.

3. Open Book Stretch

Lie on your left side. Bring your knees toward your chest and extend both arms in front of your shoulders. Let your arms rest on the floor, palms touching. Keeping both arms straight, lift the right (top) arm. Bring it up and over to the floor on the opposite side, following the hand with your eyes and head until both arms are resting in a T shape. You should feel a gentle twist in the mid-back, as well as a stretch in the neck and chest. Hold for 20 seconds, then slowly return to the start. Repeat five more times, then switch sides.

4. Lower Back Twist

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Rest both arms on the floor out to your sides in a T shape. Gently drop both knees to the left, bringing them as close to the floor as is comfortable, and turn your head to the right. You should feel a gentle stretch in your low back, all the way up through your trunk and neck. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds before switching sides. Do 8 reps on each side.

5. Child’s Pose

There’s no research that specifies how long you need to stretch to see sleep benefits. As long as you hold each position long enough for the muscles to loosen up, how long you stretch is up to you, Matsumura says. Some people get everything they need out of just a few minutes, while others may prefer a longer routine.

Get the most from your bedtime stretching with these best practices.

1. Keep it gentle. The goal of a bedtime stretching routine isn’t to increase flexibility; it’s to let go of tension. So take a gentle approach that feels good. “If doing a stretch is causing discomfort, that won’t enhance your ability to relax,” Matsumura says.
2. Breathe with intention. “Breathing into our stretches can help get some tension out of those areas of our body where it builds up all day,” Rose says. It can also help calm down a racing mind, she adds. To do this, take a slightly deeper inhale than you normally might, and then use the exhale to take the stretch a little further if you feel like you can.
3. Listen to your body. If a specific stretch feels especially good, feel free to hold the pose for longer, Rose says. Alternatively, if a stretch feels too intense, modify the range of motion until it’s comfortable.
4. Transition between movements slowly. Intense physical activity shortly before bed can raise cortisol and delay the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps the body sleep.

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    To ensure that your bedtime stretching routine puts you in relaxation mode — instead of getting your heart rate up — take your time with the stretches, Rose suggests.
5. Set the environment. Enhance relaxation by dimming the lights and putting any electronic devices away. (Rose recommends writing down your list of stretches on paper so you don’t have to check your phone.) Ideally, it’s best to stretch on the floor next to your bed, or on the bed itself if it’s not comfortable to climb down to the ground, Rose says.