Yoga Nidra if you've woken up in the night
by Melanie Cooper
We’ve all had those nights: you wake up in the small hours and suddenly your mind is wide awake. The stress of knowing you “should” be asleep can spiral, leaving you worrying about feeling tired, foggy, and drained the next day.
This is where Yoga Nidra can be a wonderful ally. Sometimes called “yogic sleep,” this deeply restorative practice can help guide you back into slumber – or, if sleep doesn’t return, it can still give you the gift of profound rest and renewal.
In this particular Yoga Nidra, you’ll be guided through:
- Gentle body awareness to settle the mind
- Soft eye movements to release tension
- A soothing squeeze-and-release practice to relax the body
- Breathing with a long exhale to calm the nervous system
- A slow, spacious body scan to invite restfulness throughout
Unlike many practices, this session doesn’t bring you back at the end — leaving space for you to drift off naturally, or simply remain in a state of deep rest.
Whether you return to sleep or not, Yoga Nidra offers a way to ease the stress of wakefulness and give your body and mind a much-needed pause.
