Transformed Evening Screen Time to a 10-Minute Yoga Routine - Shockingly Experienced a Noticeable Difference in Feelings
In the digital age, endless screen time before bed can lead to increased cortisol levels, making it harder to fall asleep. However, a simple solution may be just a yoga mat away. Pre-bed yoga is a calming practice that can counteract the effects of screen time and promote restful sleep.
According to a 2020 report, 73% of adults admit to scrolling their phones within 30 minutes of bedtime. This habit has been linked to disrupted melatonin production and increased sleep latency. But what if there was a way to wind down more effectively?
Enter pre-bed yoga. This gentle, restorative practice involves floor-based postures that calm the nervous system, release tension, and prepare the mind and body for sleep. Some of the best poses for a pre-bed routine include Balasana (Child’s Pose), Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose), Shavasana (Corpse Pose), Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani), Butterfly Pose, and Cat-Cow Stretch.
These poses share the effect of slowing the breath, reducing nervous system activation, and counteracting stress responses from daytime activities. For example, Legs-Up-The-Wall promotes circulation, reduces swelling, and eases stress, making it excellent for pre-sleep relaxation.
One author, who tried pre-bed yoga for a week, noticed significant improvements. By day three, the usual overthinking reel while trying to drift off stopped. The author's Oura ring showed consistently lower sleep latency and longer deep sleep phases by day six. By day seven, the author's productivity battery felt fuller than ever.
The author used the Sweaty Betty Balance Yoga Mat during their pre-bed yoga flows, appreciating its dual-sided grip and cushioned support. The author also added Skinner's favourites - Happy Baby Pose and Reclining Butterfly - to their routine.
Nancy Trueman, a sound practitioner and founder of True North Studio, and Eloise Skinner, an author and yoga instructor at Third Space London, believe in yoga as a nightly reset. A 2025 review in Frontiers in Neurology reported sleep quality gains of up to 16% after short, regular evening yoga practices.
Ideally, pre-bed yoga practice should last between 30 to 60 minutes, with devices off and the room calm. Practicing pre-bed yoga right before bed is fine as long as you're not feeling rushed, and yoga shouldn't feel like another task to tick off before sleep.
Pre-bed yoga is suitable for most people, as it's less about flexibility and more about allowing the body to settle. So, consider rolling out your mat before bed and giving it a try. You might just find yourself drifting off to a more restful sleep.
- In the digital age, a yoga mat might be the key to combating the negative effects of endless screen time before bed and promoting restful sleep.
- The habit of scrolling through phones within 30 minutes of bedtime has been linked to disrupted melatonin production and increased sleep latency, according to a 2020 report.
- Pre-bed yoga, a calming practice involving floor-based postures, can counteract the effects of screen time and promote sleep, with poses such as Balasana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Shavasana, Legs-Up-The-Wall, Butterfly Pose, and Cat-Cow Stretch being particularly beneficial.
- A week-long pre-bed yoga practice led to significant improvements and consistent changes for one author, including lowered sleep latency, longer deep sleep phases, reduced overthinking, and increased productivity.
- Yoga as a nightly reset is championed by sound practitioner Nancy Trueman and author-yoga instructor Eloise Skinner, with a 2025 review in Frontiers in Neurology reporting sleep quality gains of up to 16% after short, regular evening yoga practices.
- Pre-bed yoga practice should ideally last between 30 to 60 minutes, with devices off, the room calm, and no rushing, making it a soothing addition to a health-and-wellness, lifestyle, or home-and-garden routine.
