WHEN the clock reads 2 a.m. and you’re still awake with your mind racing, trust that you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 50 to 70 million American adults suffer from a sleep or wakefulness disorder. And the consequences can be serious: Chronic lack of sleep may contribute to hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, and cancer.

    Along with the typical suggestions of avoiding large meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime, yoga is a gentle and easy way to help body and mind shift into a more restful state. Just a few simple stretches can serve as a bridge between the buzz of your day and the complete surrender that’s required for sleep. As you do the poses that follow, let go of the events of the day and turn your attention toward the sensations in your body and the feeling of your breath.

    Butterfly pose

    How to: From a seated position, bend your knees and press the soles of your feet together. Give yourself a lot of space by sliding your feet away from your hips. Hold your feet, exhale, and fold forward, allowing your upper back to round and your head to drop toward your arches.

    Refine it: If you can’t reach your forehead to your feet without strain, try stacking your fists on top of each other or using a pillow.

    Rest: Stay in the pose for at least eight breaths or up to several minutes.

    Supine twist

    How to: Lie on your back and hug your right knee into your chest. Drop your knee over to the left until it reaches the ground. If you’re straining to get your knee to the floor, add some pillows for padding. Place your left hand on the outside of your right knee.

    Refine it: To deepen the stretch, press your right knee down and away from you as you coax your right shoulder toward the floor.

    Rest: Stay for eight breaths then bring your knee back into your chest and do the other side.

    Legs-up-the-wall pose

    How to: You’ll need a wall to do this pose, or you can do it against your bed’s headboard. Sit sideways with your left hip against the wall. Lean back on your hands and lower your torso onto the floor as you bring your feet up to the wall. If your bottom is far from the wall, press your feet into it and scoot forward until your bottom touches it. Straighten your legs and rest them against the wall. Relax your feet and place one hand on your belly, the other on your heart.

    Refine it: If your hamstrings are tight, you don’t have to scoot your bottom all the way to the wall. This pose should feel utterly relaxing. Once you’re there, take long, smooth, deep breaths. Notice how your breath moves your hands up and down.

    Rest: Stay for as long as you’d like. If you’re on your bed, you can gently transition right into sleep. To come out of the pose, bend your knees and roll to your right side. Use your hands to help you come all the way up.

    (SD-Agencies)