Prenatal Yoga to Help You Sleep

Wide awake in the middle of the night again? Have your restless legs made it impossible for you to get comfortable? Or is heartburn, nausea, or a constant need to pee keeping you awake? Getting enough sleep can be one of the hardest parts of being pregnant.

We have come to the rescue with some yoga postures that can help you get that much needed good night’s sleep.

1. Legs up the wall

• Sit sideways very close to the wall and come laying down onto your side.
• Move your buttocks closer to the wall, all the way until it is touching.
• Slowly turn over onto your back and let your legs rest up against the wall.
• Ensure your breath stays comfortable at all times while resting on your back

Tips: Put a small pillow under your right side to shift your uterus a bit should you find it difficult to breathe while on your back.

2. Childs pose

• From a table top position bring your big toes towards one another and spread your knees wide, making sure to open your legs wide enough to leave space for baby if needed.
• Draw your hips back towards your feet and feel them grounding towards the earth.
• Walk your hands forward as you melt your upper body towards the floor.
• Place your head onto the earth or on a pillow.

Tips: If you have difficulty bringing your hips back far enough so you can rest in the position, you may wish to place a folded up blanket between the back of your thighs and your calves.

3. Standing forward fold

 

• Stand with feet together or slightly apart, open legs to leave space if needed for baby, as pregnancy progresses you will naturally take a wider stance.
• Engage your quadriceps.
• Lengthen spine.
• Open chest.
• Shoulders back and down.
• Lengthen neck.
• Arms lengthen along your sides and hands turned out.
• Lengthen the spine and begin to fold forward from the hips.
• Leading with the heart.
• Let the neck and head sink towards the floor, relaxing.
• Lengthen the back.

Tips: Make sure to widen your stance as the belly grows. You can also bend your knees and place your elbows onto your thighs helping support your body weight.

4. Reclining bound angle

 

• Place bolster or pillows behind you so that you can comfortably recline onto them .
• In a seated position bring the soles of the feet together.
• Bring the feet in towards the pelvis .
• Let the knees rest towards the floor apply in a reclined position onto the bolster or pillows letting the arms fall to either side.

 

Tips: Lay on a bolster or pillows to elevate your body a bit. Ensure you continue to breathe comfortably while on your back and listen to your body at all times. If you experience any hip or knee discomfort you can modify this pose by placing a block or bolster under your knees and/or thighs to help support your legs in this position.

5. Janu sirasana (head to knee pose)

 

• From a seated position lengthen both legs.
• Bring the legs slightly apart if needed depending on the size of your belly.
• Encourage the knees and feet to face up.
• Flex the feet, pressing through the heels as the toes face up.
• Place hands onto the floor beside the hips.
• Keep spine lengthened, chest open and shoulders down.
• Lengthen neck and crown of the head presses up.
• Bend one leg and bring that foot in towards your opposite inner thigh.
• Feel the sits bones grounding down into the earth.
• Fold forward from the hips, keeping the spine lengthened and melt the heart towards the earth.
• Bring the belly to the inside of the lengthened leg.

Tips: Using a strap or belt can be very helpful in this pose.
We hope that with the use of these poses you are able to get that good night’s sleep that all expecting mamas are craving.