4 Stretching movements before going to sleep to make it more restful

There are many ways you can do to sleep better, one of which is stretching. Doing various stretches before bed can help focus on your breath and body. In addition, this activity also helps relieve muscle tension and prevent cramps that can interfere with the quality of your sleep.

Various stretching movements before bed

Before going to bed, it's a good idea to try a variety of simple stretching movements, including:

1. Bear hug

Source: Healthline

Bear hug is a movement like a hug that functions to relieve soreness or pain in the shoulder area and upper back. You can do this one movement by:

1. Stand straight and inhale, opening your arms wide.
2. Exhale slowly while crossing your arms in a self-hugging motion.
3. Take a deep breath as you hug yourself and pull your shoulders forward.
4. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
5. Inhale again, opening your arms as wide as they were before.

2. Paschimottanasana

This one stretch is taken from the yoga movement. Apart from helping you to focus and relax, this movement helps stretch the muscles in the thigh and calf area. Do this movement by:

1. Sit on the floor or mattress with your legs straight forward and attached.
2. Lean slowly forward with your hand trying to grab your toes.
3. Hold this movement for 15 seconds before returning to the original position.

3. Child pose

This movement helps you regulate your breath, relax your body, and reduce stress after a long day of work. Not only that, the movement of child poses also helps relieve pain and tension in the back, shoulders and neck. Do this movement by:

1. Sit with your legs folded back.
2. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, then slowly lean towards the floor until you touch them.
3. Take a deep breath and release it slowly.
4. Hold this pose for about 5 minutes.
5. Use a pillow under your thigh or forehead if you feel uncomfortable.

4. Viparita karani

Source: Seattle Yoga News

This stretching movement helps reduce painful inflammation in the body and certainly makes you much more relaxed. The targets for this movement are the glutes (glutes) and hamstrings (thighs). Do this movement by:

1. Lie on your back against the wall.
2. Bring your butt as close to the wall as possible.
3. Raise both legs straight and lean them against the wall.
4. Keep your hands straight and open on each side with your palms facing upwards.
5. Hold this movement for about 15 seconds.

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