12 Easy Yoga Poses You Can Do in Your Bed

Whether you need to wind down at night or rev up for the day, try doing these easy yoga stretches right in your own bed.

By

Karen Asp, MA, CPT, VLCE

Updated on November 09, 2023

Fact checked by

Danielle Slauter

woman doing yoga stretches in bed — Photo: Getty Images

Sleep experts will tell you to reserve your bed for sleep, but that doesn't mean there's no wiggle room for one more soothing activity: yoga. Doing yoga in bed might seem unusual—until you realize that you're probably already doing mini stretches there anyway, especially when you wake up.

Benefits of Doing Yoga in Bed

Dedicated stretches and yoga poses in bed can give your body the opportunity to move more—either to energize you for the day ahead or to help you relax and relieve tension at the end of it.

"In the morning, a few simple breathing techniques and movements will clear away the aches and stiffness of the body while clearing the cobwebs out of your mind," says Tory Schaefer, national director of yoga operations at Life Time in Minneapolis. It can also help you start the day more energized. Meanwhile, "at night, a yoga practice will help reset everything so your bed becomes a sacred space rather than a think tank of residue from the day." And hopefully it helps you to be able to enjoy more restful sleep.

Below, Schaefer details two series of yoga stretches, one that you can do as you're waking up, and another as you're falling asleep. Each one also comes with a bonus strategy to help you wind up or down.

Morning Yoga Poses to Do in Bed

1. Belly Breathing

Bed Yoga: belly breathing — Kailey Whitman

Lie face up on your back and observe your natural breath for a few rounds.
On an exhale, draw your belly muscles in and up as tight as you can while pressing your lower back into the bed.
Hold your belly like this for 10 breaths, then take a deep inhale as you release the belly muscles and allow the natural sway in the lower back to return.
Exhale and repeat three more times.

2. Hip Opener

Bed Yoga: Hip opener stretch — Kailey Whitman

Lying face up on your back, exhale and draw your right knee and leg to your chest.
For the three to five breaths, gently rotate the knee in one direction, then the other, feeling the hips open:
Exhaling, draw the right knee into the chest as tightly as you can. Hold for five breaths.
Move the right knee toward the right armpit as tightly as you can and hold another five breaths.
Release and switch sides.

3. Happy Baby

Yoga in bed happy baby pose — Grace Canaan

Start lying face up on the bed. Keeping your head on the bed, bring your knees toward your chest so they form 90-degree angles with bottoms of your feet facing up to the ceiling.
Reach your hands toward your feet and grasp the outsides of each foot, flexing your feet into your hands.
With your knees apart, rock gently from side to side for five to 10 breaths.

4. Seated Forward Fold

Bed Yoga Pose: seat forward fold stretch — Kailey Whitman

Start sitting up in bed with your legs together and extended.
Take a deep breath in and stretch your arms up over your head.
Exhale and fold your torso and arms over your legs, relaxing even the back of your neck and jaw muscles.
Hold for five breaths. On each inhale, think of lifting your torso away from your legs slightly. On each exhale, lower it and settle deeper into the stretch.

5. Seated Twist

Bed Yoga Poses: seated twist stretch — Kailey Whitman

Sit on the bed with your legs crossed.
Place your right hand on your left knee and left hand behind your body, and gently twist your torso to the left, breathing deeply into the lower ribcage.
Release and repeat on the other side.

6. Seated Figure 4 With Spinal Twist

Yoga in bed or chair stretch seated figure 4 with spinal twist — Grace Canaan

Swing your legs off the side of your bed and sit tall.
Place your right foot over the top of your left knee, creating a rough figure “4” with your legs.
Inhale and think of lengthening your spine.
Exhale and place your left hand on your right knee and right hand behind you as you gently twist to the right.
Hold for five breaths, imagining lengthening your spine with each inhale and using your hands to gently deepen the twist on each exhale.
Release and switch sides.

Evening Yoga Poses to Do in Bed

7. Cat-Cow

Yoga in bed cat cow stretch — Grace Canaan

Start on all fours on top of your bed with knees directly under your hips (top of feet on the bed) and wrists aligned under shoulders.
Cat: Inhale, then on the exhale, tuck your tailbone under and tuck your chin to your chest; round your spine toward the ceiling, pulling your belly button up into your spine.
Cow: Inhale and tilt your pelvis forward and lift your tailbone to the ceiling, lifting your chin and chest to the ceiling and letting your belly drop and relax.
Exhale and return slowly into cat pose. Continue like this, transitioning on the inhale and exhale, for five to 10 breaths.

8. Legs Up the Wall

Bed Yoga Pose: Legs up the wall stretch — Kailey Whitman

Move the pillows away from the headboard and sit as close to the headboard (or wall) as possible, with your feet facing the headboard.
Wiggle your legs up the headboard so your tailbone is as close to the headboard (or wall) as possible and your legs are extended straight up the wall.
Relax into the bed, placing your arms down by your sides or out to the side.
Focus on breathing deeply on each inhale and exhale, and stay here with your legs up the wall/headboard for up to five minutes.

9. Lying Twist

Bed Yoga Pose: side lying twist stretch — Kailey Whitman

Lie face up on the bed and draw your knees in to your chest.
Keeping your upper body lying flat, slowly drop your bent legs over to the left, feeling a twist in the right side body. Pressing your left hand on top of your knees and extending your right arm to the side at shoulder height for a deeper stretch.
Look to the right and hold here for several breaths for a gentle neck stretch.
Switch sides and repeat.

10. Butterfly Pose

Bed Yoga Pose: Butterfly hip stretch pose — Kailey Whitman

Lying face up on the bed, bring the soles of your feet to touch and allow your knees to fall open away from each other.
Focus on breathing deeply for three to five minutes while holding this pose.

11. Child’s Pose

Yoga in bed child's pose stretch — Grace Canaan

Kneel on your bed with your knees roughly hip-width apart and your toes together.
Sit back on your feet and gently lower your head until your forehead is resting on the bed.
Let your arms relax alongside your body.
Hold for five to 10 breaths.

12. Knee Hug

Yoga in bed knee hug stretch — Grace Canaan

Lie on your back and draw your knees all the way up toward your chest.
Wrap your arms around your shins and hug your forehead into your knees.
Take three long, slow, deep breaths.
On the last exhale, release your legs down in front of you.

Tips for Beginner Yogis

Throughout both morning and evening sequences, remember to breathe deeply and with awareness. Think of breathing into the most stiff, tense, or achy places.
Modify or avoid any poses that cause pain or serious discomfort.
Remember your intentions: Remind yourself why you want to do yoga in bed; knowing your “why” will help you make time for it and stick with it.
As you end your morning practice, commit to doing something that day that will make your heart happy.
Set the mood by dimming the lights before your evening bed yoga practice.
While moving through your evening practice, think about three things you’re grateful for or one thing that went well during the day.