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Sleep, Insomnia, And Meditation
| Meditation For Sleep | Sleep Meditation | Best Natural Sleep Aid | Sleep Affirmations | Bedtime Routine | Binaural Beats Sleep |
Sleep is just as important to our health as drinking water and eating. It gives our body time to repair cells, release hormones, as well as restore the energy that we have wasted throughout the day, preparing us for the next day.
Having trouble with sleep affects all aspects of our life as the lack of sleep leaves us moody and unenergetic. The inability to fall asleep at night is called insomnia. This sleep disorder is very common, especially among adults. So, if you are having trouble with falling asleep too, know that you are not alone in this.
As a result of the popularity of this issue, people have come up with many tips that may help you fall asleep sooner. These tips include sticking to a sleep schedule, staying active throughout the day, not drinking caffeinated drinks or eating before sleep, etc.
These tips may be helpful for some people but they certainly don’t work for everyone suffering from insomnia. Especially in the cases when you fail to fall asleep because your mind simply won’t shut off.
This is when meditation practices come into play.
Having trouble with sleep affects all aspects of our life as the lack of sleep leaves us moody and unenergetic. The inability to fall asleep at night is called insomnia. This sleep disorder is very common, especially among adults. So, if you are having trouble with falling asleep too, know that you are not alone in this.
As a result of the popularity of this issue, people have come up with many tips that may help you fall asleep sooner. These tips include sticking to a sleep schedule, staying active throughout the day, not drinking caffeinated drinks or eating before sleep, etc.
These tips may be helpful for some people but they certainly don’t work for everyone suffering from insomnia. Especially in the cases when you fail to fall asleep because your mind simply won’t shut off.
This is when meditation practices come into play.
Can Meditation Help With Insomnia?
As we all know, meditation is all about achieving total relaxation for the mind and the body. This is why it is considered to be a helpful practice for people suffering from insomnia and lack of quality sleep.
Meditation promotes sleep as the changes it makes to our body are similar to what happens when our body goes into the early stage of sleep. At this stage, our body produces melatonin, the sleep hormone. It also increases the production of serotonin, the so-called mood stabilizer. These two things happen during meditation too.
Additionally, during meditation and the early stages of sleep, our heart rate slows down and blood pressure decreases. With such similar effects, meditating is a powerful technique to use to fall asleep faster.
Making meditation and mindfulness practices a habit will improve the quality of your sleep in the long run too, even if insomnia is not something you are suffering from.
The reason is that meditation teaches us to regulate our emotions. And when trying to fall asleep, it is important for us to empty our minds, put away all the stress and anxiety, and calm the emotions that may be preventing our minds from reaching a state of complete relaxation.
As we all know, meditation is all about achieving total relaxation for the mind and the body. This is why it is considered to be a helpful practice for people suffering from insomnia and lack of quality sleep.
Meditation promotes sleep as the changes it makes to our body are similar to what happens when our body goes into the early stage of sleep. At this stage, our body produces melatonin, the sleep hormone. It also increases the production of serotonin, the so-called mood stabilizer. These two things happen during meditation too.
Additionally, during meditation and the early stages of sleep, our heart rate slows down and blood pressure decreases. With such similar effects, meditating is a powerful technique to use to fall asleep faster.
Making meditation and mindfulness practices a habit will improve the quality of your sleep in the long run too, even if insomnia is not something you are suffering from.
The reason is that meditation teaches us to regulate our emotions. And when trying to fall asleep, it is important for us to empty our minds, put away all the stress and anxiety, and calm the emotions that may be preventing our minds from reaching a state of complete relaxation.
How To Meditate Before Sleep?
If you have trouble with falling asleep or suffer from insomnia, allocate a few minutes for pre-bed meditation. Here’s how to meditate before sleep in a few easy steps.
If you have trouble with falling asleep or suffer from insomnia, allocate a few minutes for pre-bed meditation. Here’s how to meditate before sleep in a few easy steps.
Step 1: Set Up The Environment
To prepare yourself for pre-bed meditation, you also need to set up your environment. Get into comfortable clothes and remove all the distractions. Turn off the TV and put down your phone if you are not using it for meditation.
You may light a candle and play meditative music to make your room cozier. In this article, you can find more ideas on how to organize your meditation space and create a perfect atmosphere for your practice.
To add an extra touch to your sleep routine, you may need a weighted blanket in your life. The weight of a blanket creates a deep touch pressure stimulation that can lead to the release of dopamine and serotonin, so it’s like getting a big hug.
To prepare yourself for pre-bed meditation, you also need to set up your environment. Get into comfortable clothes and remove all the distractions. Turn off the TV and put down your phone if you are not using it for meditation.
You may light a candle and play meditative music to make your room cozier. In this article, you can find more ideas on how to organize your meditation space and create a perfect atmosphere for your practice.
To add an extra touch to your sleep routine, you may need a weighted blanket in your life. The weight of a blanket creates a deep touch pressure stimulation that can lead to the release of dopamine and serotonin, so it’s like getting a big hug.
Step 2: Choose A Meditation Method
As you may know, there are many different types of meditation. But not all of them are suitable for sleep.
One of the best meditation methods to practice before sleep is mindfulness meditation. This implies focusing on the present moment. When doing mindfulness meditation, it is easier to focus on breathing. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and then exhale. When breathing, focus on the movement of your chest. Try to stay focused on the process of breathing. Deeply breath in and breath out five times.
You can also try a guided meditation. This is a meditation done with the use of meditation podcasts and recordings. Simply turn on your preferred recording and try to focus on the speaker’s voice.
Body scan meditation is another effective mediation method for sleep. With body scan meditation, you should concentrate your attention on feeling the weight of your body. You can focus your mind on all your muscles and go from your eyes to your feet, feeling each of your body parts.
As you may know, there are many different types of meditation. But not all of them are suitable for sleep.
One of the best meditation methods to practice before sleep is mindfulness meditation. This implies focusing on the present moment. When doing mindfulness meditation, it is easier to focus on breathing. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and then exhale. When breathing, focus on the movement of your chest. Try to stay focused on the process of breathing. Deeply breath in and breath out five times.
You can also try a guided meditation. This is a meditation done with the use of meditation podcasts and recordings. Simply turn on your preferred recording and try to focus on the speaker’s voice.
Body scan meditation is another effective mediation method for sleep. With body scan meditation, you should concentrate your attention on feeling the weight of your body. You can focus your mind on all your muscles and go from your eyes to your feet, feeling each of your body parts.
Step 3: Meditate For At Least 5 Minutes
No matter which meditation method you choose, try to do it for at least five minutes. If you are new at meditating, it may be difficult for you to do it longer. With practice, you can increase the meditation time to up to 20 minutes.
When you find yourself falling asleep during your meditation you might experience hypnagogia, the transition between wakefulness and sleep. During this trance-like state, it's common to experience visual, sound, and other types of insights. Some people purposefully try to induce hypnagogia to stimulate creativity.
Lucid dreaming is the next stage. Lucid dreaming is when you are aware that you are dreaming while you are actually asleep. You can track that events happening through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and natural. Some people may even be able to control how they act and what they do in their dream as if you're some sort of video game avatar.
No matter which meditation method you choose, try to do it for at least five minutes. If you are new at meditating, it may be difficult for you to do it longer. With practice, you can increase the meditation time to up to 20 minutes.
When you find yourself falling asleep during your meditation you might experience hypnagogia, the transition between wakefulness and sleep. During this trance-like state, it's common to experience visual, sound, and other types of insights. Some people purposefully try to induce hypnagogia to stimulate creativity.
Lucid dreaming is the next stage. Lucid dreaming is when you are aware that you are dreaming while you are actually asleep. You can track that events happening through your brain aren't really happening. But the dream feels vivid and natural. Some people may even be able to control how they act and what they do in their dream as if you're some sort of video game avatar.
How Often Should You Meditate For Better Sleep?
There isn’t a set number of times you are recommended to meditate for insomnia. The general rule is, that the more often you meditate and the more consistent you become with your meditation practices, the better.
If you are struggling with poor sleep quality and insomnia, we would recommend spending at least 10 minutes a day to meditating and making sleep meditation a regular part of your pre-sleep routine.
Tips For Better Sleep
If you have tried all the common tips and tricks for improving sleep, such as not taking naps and sticking to a sleep schedule, and they don’t seem to work for you, try these too along with starting to meditate before sleep.
There isn’t a set number of times you are recommended to meditate for insomnia. The general rule is, that the more often you meditate and the more consistent you become with your meditation practices, the better.
If you are struggling with poor sleep quality and insomnia, we would recommend spending at least 10 minutes a day to meditating and making sleep meditation a regular part of your pre-sleep routine.
Tips For Better Sleep
If you have tried all the common tips and tricks for improving sleep, such as not taking naps and sticking to a sleep schedule, and they don’t seem to work for you, try these too along with starting to meditate before sleep.
Practice Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is the combination of a range of habits, including sticking to a sleeping schedule we have mentioned above. But aside from waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, it also includes keeping your sleeping room quiet and dark, free of any devices and distractions.
Some sleep hygiene habits may be difficult to master. But as soon as you start putting effort into improving your sleep hygiene, you will notice how your sleep quality gets betters.
To create a bedtime routine for better sleep, having a ritual helps. For example, you can try journaling as a way to calm down and free up your mind before bed. A study by Baylor University and Emory University found that journaling before bed decreases distractions, overthinking, and worry, allowing participants to fall asleep faster. You can write about your day, list things you are grateful for, or list your plans for tomorrow.
Here we offer a 7-day Self-Discovery Journaling Challenge for the price of two Starbucks lattes.
Sleep hygiene is the combination of a range of habits, including sticking to a sleeping schedule we have mentioned above. But aside from waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, it also includes keeping your sleeping room quiet and dark, free of any devices and distractions.
Some sleep hygiene habits may be difficult to master. But as soon as you start putting effort into improving your sleep hygiene, you will notice how your sleep quality gets betters.
To create a bedtime routine for better sleep, having a ritual helps. For example, you can try journaling as a way to calm down and free up your mind before bed. A study by Baylor University and Emory University found that journaling before bed decreases distractions, overthinking, and worry, allowing participants to fall asleep faster. You can write about your day, list things you are grateful for, or list your plans for tomorrow.
Here we offer a 7-day Self-Discovery Journaling Challenge for the price of two Starbucks lattes.
Listen To Binaural Beats
Another great tip is listening to binaural frequencies. Binaural frequencies are auditory illusions. Depending on the range, these beats may promote sleep, help you get into a meditative state, and achieve a state of relaxation.
There are five different brain waves:
Delta is the lowest frequency state, it’s associated with deep sleep, healing and pain relief, meditation, access to the unconscious mind.
Theta binaural beats benefits include meditation, deep relaxation, and creativity.
In Alpha state of mind, your brain is focused and productive. It helps you focus, increase learning capacity, and engage in activities.
Beta is a higher frequency brainwave and helps in staying focused, enhances analytical thinking and solving problems, stimulates energy and action.
Higher frequency than Beta, Gamma, improves cognitive enhancement, attention to detail, memory.
Another great tip is listening to binaural frequencies. Binaural frequencies are auditory illusions. Depending on the range, these beats may promote sleep, help you get into a meditative state, and achieve a state of relaxation.
There are five different brain waves:
Delta is the lowest frequency state, it’s associated with deep sleep, healing and pain relief, meditation, access to the unconscious mind.
Theta binaural beats benefits include meditation, deep relaxation, and creativity.
In Alpha state of mind, your brain is focused and productive. It helps you focus, increase learning capacity, and engage in activities.
Beta is a higher frequency brainwave and helps in staying focused, enhances analytical thinking and solving problems, stimulates energy and action.
Higher frequency than Beta, Gamma, improves cognitive enhancement, attention to detail, memory.
Check out our Youtube channel for a selection of meditations music. Our music videos feature binaural beats, organic healing instruments as well as sounds of nature that are proven to have a positive effect on mental health.
We recommend listening in headphones for the best results. The binaural beats effect is created by a difference in frequency between the ears. You should be able to experience a sound pulsation as you listen.
We recommend listening in headphones for the best results. The binaural beats effect is created by a difference in frequency between the ears. You should be able to experience a sound pulsation as you listen.
Bedtime Affirmations
Adding sleep affirmations as a part of your sleep hygiene might be a good idea. Positive nighttime mantras help you relax, unwind, and ease into a good night’s rest.
Try these affirmations for better sleep:
Adding sleep affirmations as a part of your sleep hygiene might be a good idea. Positive nighttime mantras help you relax, unwind, and ease into a good night’s rest.
Try these affirmations for better sleep:
- My eyes are closing effortlessly.
- I fall asleep quickly and easily.
- My dreams are a place for peace and happiness only.
- Sleeping is a natural state for me.
- I enjoy a full night of sleep and I wake up recharged.
- I nourish through positive events in my dreams.
- I heal through sleep.
- I look forward to having a good night’s sleep and cleansing my mind.
- Sleep invites positive energy into my life.
- I will wake up well-rested and ready to make the most of the new day.
- I allow myself to rest to have the energy to grow into a better person.
- I allow deep sleep to make my body and mind stronger.
Breathe Deeply And Slowly
One of the key steps of successful meditation is breathing deeply and slowly. It is normal for you not to get many things right when meditating. But breathing correctly is something you can easily learn and make your practices more efficient.
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