From High Energy to Sweet Dreams: How to Use Yoga to Help Your Child Sleep

We’ve all been there. It’s bedtime, but your little one is bouncing around like a kangaroo on a sugar rush. Your instinct might tell you to pull out a calming yoga routine, hoping they’ll magically transform into a serene, sleepy angel. But here’s the thing: that’s not how it works. Kids don’t run on “calm down” commands—they run on needs. And when their bodies are shouting, “I need to move!”, it’s our job to listen.

Here’s why.

Understanding Your Child’s Energy: A Quick Dive into Sensory Regulation

As a certified sensory processing specialist, I can tell you this: your child’s constant movement isn’t just hyperactivity or stubbornness. It’s their body saying, “I need more input to feel regulated!”

Sensory processing refers to how we take in, interpret, and respond to the world around us through our senses. For kids, especially those full of beans at bedtime, their nervous system is working overtime to find balance. They may need big, active movements to help their bodies feel “just right” before they can settle.

Why Skipping Straight to Calm Doesn’t Work

Here’s the science-y bit: the autonomic nervous system has two main players—the sympathetic (your gas pedal, responsible for the fight, flight, or freeze response) and the parasympathetic (your brakes, the system that helps you rest and recharge).

When your child is hyped up, their sympathetic system is in overdrive. If you skip straight to calming yoga without addressing their need for movement, it’s like trying to apply brakes on a speeding car without taking your foot off the gas. First, they need co-regulation—that’s where you, as the parent, step in to help guide their energy and emotions toward balance.

Co-Regulation: Partnering with Your Child to Find Balance

Co-regulation means meeting your child where they are and modeling calm while providing the input they need. If your child is bouncing off the walls, start by joining their energy in a productive way. Together, you can release that built-up energy with activities that satisfy their sensory needs.

Here are a few ideas to get the wiggles out:

• Run in place or have a mini dance-off in the living room.
• Go for a walk or try geocaching for a fun treasure hunt.
• Play an animal imitation game—think hopping like a frog or stomping like an elephant.
• Jump on a trampoline or roll around on the floor.

These activities don’t just burn energy—they provide the deep sensory input that helps your child’s nervous system find balance. Once their body feels regulated, their parasympathetic system (the brakes) can take over.

Now Comes the Calm: 3 Yoga Moves to Transition to Sleep

Once your child’s body is ready, you can introduce gentle yoga to help them truly unwind. These three exercises are perfect for engaging the parasympathetic system and creating a peaceful pre-sleep ritual:

1. Balloon Breathing
   Imagine blowing up a big, colorful balloon. Inhale deeply through the nose to “inflate” your belly, then exhale slowly through the mouth as the balloon deflates. Repeat a few times. This simple breathing exercise soothes the nervous system and brings their energy down a notch.

2. Forward Fold Pose
   Have your child sit on the floor with legs extended straight. Gently encourage them to fold forward, reaching for their toes. They don’t need to touch them—it’s about the stretch and calming sensation as their head lowers. This pose releases tension and invites relaxation.

3. Butterfly Pose
   Sitting with the soles of their feet together, have your child gently flap their “butterfly wings.” After a minute, let them rest in the pose, feeling their body soften into the stretch. This position is comforting and grounding—a perfect way to end the practice.

The Takeaway

Bedtime yoga isn’t about forcing calm on an energetic child; it’s about listening to what their body needs first. By allowing movement and co-regulating with them, you’re teaching your child to tune into their own body’s signals.

So, next time bedtime feels like a circus, don’t skip to “calm down”. Start with connection and movement, then guide your child toward peace. Before you know it, they’ll be drifting off into dreamland, and you’ll be doing a victory stretch of your own.

Sweet dreams!