“A good night’s sleep is the best bridge between despair and hope.”
E. Joseph Cossman
On average, humans spend almost one-third of their lives sleeping! Sleep is thus vital for every person to function properly. According to research, one in four Indians struggle with insomnia. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders in adults. It adversely affects metabolism and cognition and is directly linked to quality of life. There are various ways to deal with insomnia. When you sleep, even though your body is still, your subconscious mind remains active. So, meditating before sleep can help you get good quality sleep and reprogram your subconscious mind. Learning how to meditate before sleep can be a game-changer, especially if you have been dealing with insomnia or struggling to get good sleep. Let’s dive into the benefits of sleep meditation and understand how to meditate before sleep.
Why You Should Practice Sleep Meditation
Practicing meditation before sleep can have numerous benefits. Let’s look at some of the most important benefits of sleep meditation.
1. Helps to Combat Insomnia and Improves the Quality of Sleep
This is one of the most crucial benefits of sleep meditation. When you meditate just before sleeping, your entire body goes into a state of deep relaxation. Regularly meditating before sleep can help you fall asleep faster by stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system to produce melatonin, a hormone that causes sleepiness. This helps you get good quality sleep.
2. Enhances Mental Clarity and Lowers Stress
Insomnia is directly linked to stress and anxiety. Lack of sleep can adversely impact your ability to think clearly. If you do not get adequate sleep, your reaction time will increase, you won’t be able to pay attention in important situations, and your concentration will dip drastically. When we are stressed, our bodies produce hormones such as adrenaline, which activate the fight-or-flight response. By doing sleep meditation, you can deal with brain fog and improve mental clarity. It also significantly helps lower stress levels, which improves your overall well-being.
3. Improves Mood
Have you noticed that whenever you do not get proper sleep, you generally feel very cranky and irritable? One of the negative effects of lack of sleep is that it affects your mood. Thus, sleep meditation is one of the best ways to improve your mood. When you are well-rested, you will automatically feel calmer and more relaxed. You will be able to handle all kinds of situations without getting agitated. When you are in a relaxed frame of mind, you will experience more compassion and kindness towards yourself and others. This can help strengthen your relationships.
4. Helps with Pain Relief
Studies have proven that people who meditate can deal with pain better than those who do not. This is because meditation has mental as well as physical health benefits, equipping you to handle pain. Meditation can rewire your subconscious mind, allowing you to process pain better.
5. Reinforces Self-Discipline
When you start practicing meditation before sleep and make it a consistent practice, it becomes a part of your daily routine. By meditating before sleep every night, you can train your mind to resist temptations and keep distractions at bay. You develop stronger willpower, which reduces the likelihood of engaging in self-destructive behavior.
How to Prepare for Sleep Meditation: Things to Keep in Mind
Before you go into deep sleep meditation, there are a few things you need to do to prepare for your practice.
1. Create a Peaceful Environment for Meditation
The first step before you start sleep meditation is to create an environment in which you can relax and meditate. Prepare your bed, dim the lights (or switch them off), and make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothes. If you like, you can also use scented candles or essential oils to set the mood for your practice.
2. Keep Distractions Away
According to a recent study, more than 80% of people use their phones before going to sleep. This can greatly affect the quality of your sleep. Before starting deep sleep meditation, it is very important to be in a place where there are no disturbances, as the idea of sleep meditation is to help you drift off to sleep. Switch off all your gadgets at least an hour before you sleep and keep them away from you so that you’re not disturbed while performing the meditation.
3. Settle into a Comfortable Position
Depending on which meditation you are doing, sit or lie down in a comfortable position. It is preferable to lie down as the sleep meditation induces drowsiness, which can make you fall asleep during the meditation itself.
4. Set a Clear Intention
Before you start meditating, set an intention for your practice. It could be something as simple as getting a sound 8-hour sleep or inviting peace into your mind and body. This will help you stay focused during the practice.
Explore these meditations for a restful night’s sleep:
Deep sleep meditation has a wonderful restorative effect on the mind and body. By meditating just for a few minutes before your bedtime, you can experience these benefits, as well as a host of others such as a reduced risk of mental disorders, better heart health, improved memory, and better cognition. The key is to have patience and be consistent with your practice. Our experts at SoulSensei can guide you on how to meditate before sleep so that you can experience all the benefits of sleep meditation.
Sources
- Bhattacharya, D, et al. “Epidemiology of insomnia: A review of the Global and Indian scenario.” Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine, vol. 8, no. 3, 2013.
- Burgin, Timothy. “11 Benefits of Meditation Before Bed.” Yoga Basics, Yogabasics.com, 20 June 2022.
- Casper Editorial Team. “101 of the Best Sleep Quotes + Wall Prints.” Casper Blog, Casper, 24 June 2020.
- Dubey, Vivek. “World Sleep Day: 58% Indians Sleep Late, 88% Wake up Tired.” CNBC TV18, CNBC- TV18.com, 15 Mar. 2024.
- Nunez, Kirsten. “3 Ways to Meditate for Better Sleep.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 Jan. 2020.
- Rusch, Heather L et al. “The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences vol. 1445,1 (2019): 5-16.
- “Sharpen Thinking Skills with a Better Night’s Sleep.” Harvard Health, Harvard Health Publishing (Harvard Medical School), 1 Mar. 2014.
- Wheeler, Kathryn. “What Happens When You Meditate Before Bed Every Night?” Happiful, Happiful, 18 June 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can meditation help with lack of sleep?
Deep sleep meditation is one of the best ways to deal with insomnia. According to studies, practicing meditation before sleep can help you fall asleep faster and get good quality sleep.
What meditation should I do before sleeping?
There are different types of meditation for beginners that you can do before sleep such as gratitude meditation, body scan meditation, mindfulness meditation, and others. You can try experimenting with the different types to see which one works best for you and then continue doing the one that gives you the best results.
How to perform sleep meditation for insomnia?
Settle into a comfortable position. Relax your mind and body and start by taking a few deep breaths. Once you feel relaxed, use a guided meditation for sleep. You can also meditate independently.
