Stretching before we go to sleep may seem a bit backward. We’re all used to stretching when we get up. However, a few stretches before bed really loosens up your muscles and prepares you for a restful and comfortable sleep that will leave you feeling refreshed in the morning. We’ve probably all heard about how yoga can help with stretching and loosening your muscles, and as it happens, this is true. Yoga is often performed to relieve stress and tension and that’s what makes yoga stretching poses so perfect for helping you wind down at the end of the day and prepare for sleep. We looked for the three best stretching routines to do before bed and found some fabulous articles to help you.

#1: The 8 Essential Stretches to Open Up Tight Hips

With most of us sitting or standing all day at our jobs, out hips can get very tight and they can remain that way when we lie down to go to sleep. Fortunately, Jenny Sugar, writing for popsugar.com found these wonderful hip stretches that will relax your muscles and allow you to rest more peacefully. She gives us full directions and great photographs that show us exactly what we need to do, in order to perform these stretches correctly. Get your hips stretched and relaxed by reading the full article here.

#2: Winding Down Twist

In this incredibly helpful article written by Vaidya Ararna S. Pattewar for yogaindailylife.com, we are shown eight poses that are perfect for getting your whole body relaxed and ready for sleep. We particularly like the winding down twist. This provides a nearly full body stretch all on its own and makes sleep come naturally and easily. You don’t have to be a yoga master to master these poses and you’ll notice how good you feel right away. The article gives full instructions and pictures that make achieving the poses easy to understand and simple to do. The really great thing about all of these poses is that you can do them all while you’re in bed, and when you’re done, just crawl under the covers and go to sleep. For the full instructions read the entire article here.

#3: Child’s Pose

Probably one of the more underrated yoga poses because it looks so simple; the child’s pose stretches a huge portion of your body all at once in an incredibly relaxing manner. In this article from gaimtv.com, we are shown exactly how to perform the child’s pose step by step and also provided with cautions and ways to modify it if you are dealing with any injury or illness that you need to circumvent. This fabulously easy pose will gently stretch your lower back, hips, thighs, knees and ankles, as well as relaxing your spine shoulders and neck. It’s an incredibly calming pose and many people feel quite relaxed and ready for bed after performing this position. Make sure to read the full article here, to get all of the instructions and see all the helpful photographs.