Yoga for Better Sleep in Perimenopause : 5 Moves to Try Tonight

If sleep has become your biggest midlife mystery, you’re not alone.
Many women in perimenopause find themselves staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m., too hot, too wired, and too restless to drift back to sleep.

The truth is, hormonal changes during this stage affect everything from body temperature to stress levels and melatonin production. But here’s the good news: yoga can help calm your nervous system, balance your hormones, and prepare your body for the deep rest it’s craving.

Let’s look at five simple yoga moves you can do tonight. No equipment, no fuss, just a few mindful minutes to help your body unwind.

1. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

This gentle inversion is a game-changer for women who feel wired at night.
It improves circulation, relieves tired legs, and signals your body that it’s safe to relax.

How to do it:
Lie on your back with your hips close to a wall and extend your legs upward.
Rest your arms beside you, close your eyes, and breathe slowly.
Stay here for 3 to 5 minutes, focusing on slow, steady breaths.

Why it helps:
It lowers your heart rate, eases fluid retention, and helps reduce that tense, restless feeling before bed.

2. Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

If tension builds in your hips or lower back, this pose gently opens your body and relaxes your mind.

How to do it:
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall open.
You can place pillows under your knees for comfort.
Rest your hands on your belly and take slow breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Why it helps:
It releases tension in the pelvis and activates your body’s rest and digest mode, helping you unwind naturally.

3. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

This simple stretch is like pressing pause on your day.

How to do it:
Sit with your legs extended in front of you, spine tall.
As you exhale, hinge forward from your hips, reaching toward your feet.
Don’t worry about how far you go, just let your head and shoulders relax.

Why it helps:
Forward folds quiet the mind, lower cortisol, and lengthen the spine. It’s one of the best ways to let go of tension before bed.

4. Cat-Cow Flow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

If your back or shoulders feel tight, this gentle flow melts away stiffness while syncing your breath with movement.

How to do it:
Come onto all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Inhale as you arch your back and exhale as you round your spine.
Move slowly for one to two minutes.

Why it helps:
It increases spinal flexibility, improves circulation, and helps release stress stored in the body.

5. Supported Child’s Pose (Balasana)

This pose is pure comfort and a full-body exhale.

How to do it:
Kneel on the floor, bring your big toes to touch, and widen your knees.
Fold forward, resting your torso on a pillow or cushion.
Stretch your arms forward or rest them by your sides.
Stay here for 3 to 5 minutes.

Why it helps:
It calms your mind, lowers your heart rate, and prepares your body for sleep.

Your Mini Bedtime Flow

Try this short sequence before bed:

1. Cat-Cow Flow :2 minutes

2. Seated Forward Fold : 1 minute

3. Reclined Bound Angle Pose : 3 minutes

4. Legs Up the Wall : 5 minutes

5. Supported Child’s Pose : 3 minutes

Less than 15 minutes total, and it could change your whole night.

Final Thought

You don’t have to power through sleepless nights.
Your body is simply asking for a slower rhythm, and yoga offers exactly that.

So tonight, roll out your mat, dim the lights, and give yourself permission to rest.
A calmer mind, cooler body, and deeper sleep might just be five poses away.