The sequence
- Easy Seat · 60 seconds. Sit on a pillow. Close the eyes if that feels safe. Count four breaths.
- Child’s Pose · 50 seconds. Knees wide, belly soft.
- Cat Pose · 30 seconds. One slow round of the spine as you breathe out.
- Cow Pose · 30 seconds. One slow arch as you breathe in.
- Puppy Pose · 40 seconds. Arms forward, hips over the knees, chest heavy.
- Bound Angle Pose · 50 seconds. Recline if you have a pillow for the ribs. Otherwise sit.
- Happy Baby · 40 seconds. Rock side to side. Hold the thighs if the feet are far.
- Reclining Hand-to-Toe · 40 seconds. Right leg. Keep the low back quiet.
- Reclining Hand-to-Toe · 40 seconds. Left leg.
- Supine Twist · 40 seconds. Right knee across.
- Supine Twist · 40 seconds. Left knee across.
- Legs Up the Wall · 90 seconds. Or put the calves on the seat of a chair if the wall is awkward. Same skip rules as the pose page: pregnancy and inversion limits.
- Corpse Pose · 50 seconds. Slide the legs down. A blanket over the body is part of the pose.
10-minute sleep routine
This routine fits best in the last part of your evening, when the main tasks are done and you can let the room get quiet. You can do it right beside the bed, in pajamas, with a pillow and a blanket already nearby. Many people find it works well with low light and easy nasal breathing if that feels comfortable. If your mind is still busy, let the shape of each pose give you one simple job, like softening the belly in Child’s Pose or keeping the low back quiet in Reclining Hand-to-Toe.
The order moves from upright to the floor in a steady, unfussy way. Easy Seat gives you a small pause. Child’s Pose, Cat, Cow, and Puppy gently shift the spine and shoulders without bringing you into standing work. Then the shapes become more supported and inward facing with Bound Angle, Happy Baby, the reclining leg stretch, and twists. Legs Up the Wall, or calves on a chair, is the longest settling point. Corpse Pose at the end lets everything go still so you can notice if your breath is quieter and your face, jaw, and hands have softened.
If you want to shorten it, keep the opening seat, one of the floor folds like Child’s Pose or Puppy, then go to Bound Angle, one twist on each side, and finish with Legs Up the Wall or Corpse Pose. If the wall is awkward, use the chair option. If sitting feels strained, add a folded blanket or extra pillow under you. If anything pinches, ease out a little or skip that shape and move on to the next resting pose.
If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.
10-minute sleep routine is a 10-minute practice written from the pose pages on this site. A longer wind-down. No standing poses. End with legs up the wall or with a pillow under the knees. The player above is a timer and a list of cues. It is not a video class, and it is not next to an advertisement. Use the written sequence under the player if you would rather read than watch a clock.
The opening cues include: Sit on a pillow. Close the eyes if that feels safe. Count four breaths; Knees wide, belly soft; One slow round of the spine as you breathe out. Follow the seconds as a suggestion. If a pose says to stay and your knee or your breath disagrees, come out early. Pausing the timer is part of using it correctly. You do not earn the practice by finishing a number.
Nothing in this routine is offered as a treatment. A short practice may help an ordinary stiff day, a loud afternoon, or the few minutes before sleep, depending on which routine you opened. It does not cure back pain, insomnia, anxiety, or an injury. If you are pregnant, hurt, or unsure whether a shape is appropriate, consult a doctor first. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, chest pain, or dizziness.
Read the pose page linked from any line you have not tried. The safety note there is more specific than this overview. Then come back and do the shorter version if the full 10 minutes is more than you wanted. A shorter honest practice is the one worth repeating.
10-minute sleep routine stays inside this site’s pose library. The minutes on the page are a ceiling, not a target you have to hit. Come out of a shape early, use the modification on the pose page, and leave the last cue for another day if you want. The practice counts when it is calm enough to repeat, including a practice you cut in half.
10-minute sleep routine: common questions
Do I need to do every pose in order?
The order has a nice settling rhythm, so it’s helpful to keep the general flow from seated to hands and knees to reclined shapes. Still, you can shorten it. Keep the quieter floor poses and the final rest, and leave out anything that makes you feel more alert than settled.
What if Legs Up the Wall doesn’t work in my room?
Use the chair version with your calves resting on the seat. That gives you a similar supported ending without needing wall space. You can also finish with Corpse Pose and a pillow under the knees if that feels simpler and helps your body settle into the floor.
How should this routine feel if it’s working for me?
You’re not looking for a big stretch. The shapes can feel mild, grounded, and a little heavier as you go. Many people notice the breath becoming less busy, the belly unclenching, and less urge to fidget. If you feel stirred up, make the poses smaller and spend longer in the supported ending.