The sequence
- Child’s Pose · 40 seconds. Lights low if you can. Forehead down. Breathe out a little longer than you breathe in.
- Bound Angle Pose · 40 seconds. Lie back over a pillow, or stay sitting. Knees fall open only as far as they fall.
- Reclining Hand-to-Toe · 35 seconds. Right leg up. Strap behind the thigh. The other foot stays on the floor.
- Reclining Hand-to-Toe · 35 seconds. Left leg up. Jaw unclenched.
- Supine Twist · 30 seconds. Right knee across. Both shoulders heavy.
- Supine Twist · 30 seconds. Left knee across.
- Legs Up the Wall · 90 seconds. Hips a few inches from the wall. Skip this pose if you are pregnant, or if you have glaucoma, a hiatal hernia, or blood pressure your clinician has asked you not to invert. Bend the knees to come down.
5-minute sleep routine
This short floor practice fits well right before bed, or after you’ve already changed into sleep clothes and want a quiet landing. Keep the room dim if you can. The order gradually asks less of you. Child’s Pose starts with a soft fold and a longer exhale, which many people find helps the day feel farther away. Bound Angle Pose opens the front of the body without forcing anything, especially if you rest back on a pillow. Then the reclining leg stretch gives each side a brief, clear shape while the other foot stays grounded, so you can notice your jaw, throat, and belly becoming less busy.
The twist comes after that to bring you back to the floor. Let both shoulders feel heavy and keep the movement small enough that your breath stays easy through the nose if that’s comfortable. Legs Up the Wall finishes the routine in the quietest position of the set. You’re not trying to make a big stretch. You’re letting the wall hold some of the work while your face softens and your ribs settle.
If you want to shorten it, keep Child’s Pose, one gentle twist on each side, and Legs Up the Wall. If Bound Angle Pose feels like too much at night, stay seated or lie back with support and let the knees open only a little. If the leg stretch pulls, keep the strap behind the thigh, bend the raised knee, or use a folded blanket under your head. Ease out of anything that pinches.
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.
5-minute sleep routine is a 5-minute practice written from the pose pages on this site. Five quiet minutes on the floor: a fold, a strap stretch, a twist, and legs up the wall. 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: Lights low if you can. Forehead down. Breathe out a little longer than you breathe in; Lie back over a pillow, or stay sitting. Knees fall open only as far as they fall; Right leg up. Strap behind the thigh. The other foot stays on the floor. 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 5 minutes is more than you wanted. A shorter honest practice is the one worth repeating.
5-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.
5-minute sleep routine: common questions
What should this routine feel like if it’s going well?
You’ll usually feel less effort as the routine goes on. Your breath may get quieter, your forehead and jaw may soften, and the floor may start to feel more supportive. The stretches should be mild to moderate, never sharp. If you’re bracing, back off a little.
Can I do less than the full routine and still use it before bed?
Yes. On a very tired night, choose Child’s Pose, Supine Twist on both sides, and Legs Up the Wall. That keeps the soft fold, the gentle rotation, and the still finish. You can also skip Bound Angle Pose or make it smaller with a pillow behind you.
What if Legs Up the Wall doesn’t work for me?
You can leave it out. Bend your knees to come down from the wall, and rest on the floor for a few breaths instead. If getting close to the wall feels awkward, keep your hips a bit farther away. A folded blanket under your head can make the shape more comfortable.