6 Yoga Poses You Can Do (In Bed!) To Help You Sleep

Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine

Feeling sleep-deprived? Yawn... you're not the only one. There are so many of us who have fallen behind on our ZZZZs that the National Sleep Foundation has declared this week National Sleep Awareness Week. And here's just the thing to get you snoozing, fast...

Did you know it's estimated that 50-70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders? That's a lot of not-getting-enough-shuteye--which can come with potentially scary results. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control study, nearly 39% of respondents said they were so sleepy during the day, they unintentionally started snoozing. And 5% of them fell asleep while driving. Yikes!

So sleep is a good thing--when you can get it. My problem is that I wait until the end of the day, while I'm lying in bed, to think about stuff--which means my head is filled with anxious to-do-list building, instead of sleeping.

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Kimberly Fowler, founder of YAS Fitness Center and author of The No OM Zone, clued me in to these pre-sleep yoga poses, which help release stress and relax your body. I tried the whole lineup last night and felt like a happy, sleepy puddle at the end. Bonus: they take about 5 to 8 minutes, and you can do them all in bed!

Child's Pose: Kneel on the floor or bed with knees apart. Rest your chest on your thighs. Bring your arms alongside your body. Let your forehead drop to the bed. Hold for 45 seconds to 1 minute (longer if it feels good!).

Forward Bend: Swing your legs out in front of you. Bring your arms behind your back and clasp your hands together. Hinge forward from your hips. Bring your hands over your head.

Cobbler: Bring the soles of your feet together and hinge forward. Sit on the floor or bed with your legs out in front of you. Bring the soles of your feet together and your knees wide apart. Bring your heels toward your body. Sit up straight, grab your feet, take a deep breath, and hinge forward from your hips as you exhale. Keep your back straight; don't force yourself down.

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Easy Spinal Twist: Bring your left knee into your chest and let your right leg go straight. Take a deep breath; on your next exhale, bring the bent knee across your body, keeping your shoulder blades on the bed. Look over your left shoulder to complete the twist. Bring both knees into your chest and then switch sides. Your right knee comes into your chest, and your left leg goes straight. Hold for 45 seconds to 1 minute, then release and bring both knees into your chest.

Knees Into Chest: Lie flat on your back. As you inhale, bend both knees into your chest. Hug your knees and rock side to side.

Corpse Pose: Relax, breathe deeply, and let the stress of the day go.

Ahhh! Do you ever do yoga before you go to sleep--or during the rest of the day? What are your best good-sleep secrets (hot tea, warm bath, good book)?

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Photo Credit: CN Digital Studio