Stretch before bed

Personal Experience

When I was four, I started gymnastics in the tiny village where I grew up. We were lucky to have a fantastic woman at the community center who was full of ideas and enthusiasm. She organized loads of activities for the kids of the village. That’s how I ended up stretching many times a week before and after every session for over a decade. It was just a thing we did, non-negotiable. The coach was nice, but strict. Stretch, run forward, run sideways, run the other sideways. I didn’t even question it. I mean, I was a kid, almost everything that made me move was fun.

Fast forward to my twenties, I wasn’t doing gymnastics anymore, for many years. Life changed, started and stopped many jobs, moved far away from home, and stretching was just totes absent. I spent seasons doing some seriously physical labor such as tree planting and fruit picking, they were the kind of jobs that destroy your body and wildly test your mind. When I was planting, I had to bend over 3,000 times a day, carrying weight on my hips, climbing over logs and slash piles, and walking on steep, uneven terrain a lovely 8 hours a day. You’re battling cold, rain, bugs (so many mosquitoes!), and frustration while making constant quick decisions about where to plant every single tree because you get paid per tree, and if you mess up, you’ll have to replant for free. On a good day, you’re alone with your thoughts with all the mentioned above and on a bad day, you’re still alone… and sometimes it feels like your brain is eating itself.

I would never stretch after work. I’d get back, shower and eat all the food I could find, and then crash. Sometimes, I’d fall asleep watching playoff hockey, and I used to NEVER miss a game, that’s how exhausted I was. Every morning, my back screamed at me, and I told it to shut up. Acknowledge the pain too much, and you won’t make any money.

But pain doesn’t just disappear because you ignore it… Surprise! Years of cherry picking, apple picking, and tree planting left my back stiff and miserable. I brushed it off with weed and booze, like a magic pill for a problem I’d spent years creating.

After I started college, when I trained for a Spartan race, I remembered how much better my body functioned when I stretched regularly. Morning training sessions made my brain feel sharp and alive. On non-training days, I’d stretch at night before bed and sleep like a bum. My mornings were clear-headed and energized instead of foggy and stiff.

I kept going at this for a long time, until I was told by my boyfriend of the time, that me not going to bed, as in stretching instead of jumping straight to bed, was the cause of us not having sex anymore. Now I know that wasn’t the reason, but then it made me self-conscious, and I stopped stretching.

It wasn’t until years later, during a hot yoga session with my current partner, that I actually realized. The heat softened everything, my muscles, my mind, I started crying in a pose because of memories coming back… I also realized just how tight I’d become. I was always SO flexible (thanks gymnastics), but I hadn’t felt that loose in years. It felt like my body had been holding its breath, and I finally exhaled. Physically and mentally.

Even now, when I don’t feel like doing it, I trick myself, “Just stretch your legs”. That’s the deal I make with the ‘NO DON’T DO IT’ part of my brain. Once I start, I always keep going, back, arms, neck and some other parts, depending on my mood, until I’m fully stretched and ready to sleep.

As I’m writing this, I’m thinking how long it’s been since I’ve done it. I would sometimes do some stretching before bed, but I have definitely fallen out of the habit. Maybe tonight I’ll tell myself, “Just the legs”.

How to Keep It Up

Use the planner: Schedule the stretch in your evening routine to ensure consistency.
Start small: 2 minutes, one area, whatever works for you, no excuses.
Make it enjoyable: Set up your space with calming elements like candles, warm lighting, or a favourite tune.
Pair it with another habit: Stretch right after brushing your teeth or a warm shower.
Track progress: Log how you feel after a session to reinforce the benefits.
Lay out a mat: Keep your stretching gear visible to remind you of the habit. I have a hard foam mat with a comfy rug next to my bedside.
Stretch alongside a loved one: Make it a social or bonding activity for added accountability.
Set a ritual: Promise yourself a favourite relaxation ritual, like tea or a good book, before or after the stretch.
Use a timer: Set a 5-minute countdown to make it feel manageable.
Visualize better mornings: Picture waking up pain-free and energized as your ultimate motivation.

Abrasive Truth

“I'm too tired to stretch before bed.” Yeah, and you also like you were hit by a bus every morning, too tired to get out of bed. Stretching takes way less time than scrolling through whatever bullshit drama on your phone. Be honest to yourself, you’ll most likely sit there, exhausted, doom-scrolling about things you don’t actually care about for 15 minutes, but you can’t spare five to fix your body? That’s so weak, you're better than this.

The Facts

Stretching Improves Sleep Efficiency: Research published by the Sleep Foundation in 2021 highlights how 10 minutes of light stretching before bed can boost sleep efficiency and reduce wake times. The study emphasizes the role of pre-sleep stretching in activating the body’s relaxation response, leading to deeper, more restful sleep. (LINK)
Stretching and Flexibility: The Mayo Clinic from 2021 discusses how regular stretching improves overall flexibility, increases blood flow to muscles, and enhances relaxation. Incorporating stretching before bed can reduce muscle tension and promote a calmer state, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. (LINK)
Effect on Sleep and Stress: A study available on ResearchGate (2014) shows that low-intensity stretching exercises before bed reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality, particularly in individuals with mild sleep disorders. Stretching activates the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to relaxation and deeper sleep. (LINK)