Thoughts, creative thinking, and the power of imagination are fascinating unless you are under your covers and trying to get a good night's sleep. Imagine you have a significant day tomorrow. You go to your bed prepared, but you cannot sleep, no matter how hard you try. Thoughts are juggling through your mind, and you are stressing about having a lousy, unproductive day. Don't worry; this is very common and happens to most of us. Different studies revealed that between 10% to 30% of adults have insomnia at any given point in time, and up to 50% to 60% have insomnia in a given year.
There could be several reasons behind this - everyday stress, hectic schedules, excessive usage of gadgets, lifestyle choices, etc. All these factors contribute to a damaged sleep cycle. Having said that, irregular or lack of sleep can lead to the risk of heart disease or chronic illness. It may also lead to impairments in the eyes, short-term and long-term deprivation in memory, decision making, attention or reaction time. On the other hand, a good sleep gives you clarity of thoughts, increases your productivity and attention span.
If you find yourself tossing and turning, desperately seeking a restful slumber, and want to reduce insomnia, look no further. Read on our blog to learn how to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia with guided meditations for deep sleep and sound sleep techniques. Read more to get all the details!
Meditation at your rescue!
It is essential to have 7- 8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Now the question is, how do you achieve it? Should you consult a doctor, or is there any other way to achieve calmness and inner peace that lets you relax your mind and brain and shush the thoughts that keep you awake? Well, the answer is "YES”. Multiple studies suggest that deep sleep meditation has helped people achieve sound sleep and reduce insomnia.
A study published a few years ago in JAMA Internal Medicine included 49 middle-aged and older adults with sleep problems. Half completed a mindfulness-based awareness program that taught them deep sleep meditation and other practices designed to help them focus on their "current experiences, thoughts, and emotions". The other half completed a sleep education course to learn how to improve their sleep habits. Both groups met 6 times a week for 2 hours. As a result, at the end of the six sessions, people in the mindfulness group had less Insomnia, malaise, and depression than people in the sleep education group.
Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on your breathing, train your everyday thoughts, and evoke a relaxation response. Although there is no set pattern, guided meditation for deep sleep is very simple. You can keep certain aspects in mind while practicing deep sleep meditation before going to bed. The first step is to choose a place that is quiet, calm, dark (if you are not scared) and free of distractions. Get into a comfortable position and make sure you have everything you might need.
Choosing the right meditation technique
The next step includes choosing a suitable sleep meditation technique. If you are new to meditation, you might be a bit confused about which one to go for. Well, you might have to experiment with a few techniques to find out what works best for you especially when you’re looking to reduce stress and improve your sleep quality. Let’s go over some of the popular meditation techniques.
1. Yoga Nidra for Sleep
Yoga Nidra meditation is one of the effective sleep meditation techniques for those looking on how to improve sleep quality and reduce stress. In this meditation technique, you will be asked to lie down, focus on each part of your body, suggesting it to relax. This will release any soreness in the muscles, helping you relax and taking you towards a good night's sleep.
2. Visualisation Meditation
Do you feel you are good at imagination? If the answer is yes, this meditation for good sleep is for you. This meditation practice asks you to visualise an image or a scene that makes you feel happy and relaxed. It is one of the very effective ways to reduce stress and sleep lightheaded. It is like hypnosis, definitely a good kind, taking you towards sound sleep.
3. Breathing Meditation
If you’re tired of googling how to improve sleep quality. This will end here. This meditation technique is very simple. What's the basic thumb rule for good sleep? You are tired, and you will sleep well. This involves first regulating and counting your breathing and then eventually slowing it down, which gives a tiring effect on your body. This meditation takes your mind from distracting thoughts, relaxing your body and eventually leading you towards a sound sleep.
4. Sleep Stories
Remember when we were kids, our parents recited those fairy tales, and we would get the best sleep? Just thinking of this gives a feeling of nostalgia. Well, as kids we were not this stressed, and we cannot remove that from our lives, but we can definitely go back to those stories. These stories take you to a dreamy place setting aside all your worries, which helps you sleep better. If you’re looking to reduce stress through stories, sleep stories on our app are perfect for you.
5. Counting
Now, this is one of the most used sleep improvement strategies. You may be asked to count numbers during this meditation, eventually slowing your mind and directing it towards rest. The most used is sheep counting.
Now that you are aware of the different techniques of meditation that can help you treat your insomnia, find the best suited for you by practicing them daily. Go ahead, make it a routine, find a comfortable environment, get into your meditation posture, and let meditation do its magic.
Other Benefits of Meditation before Sleep
Practicing guided meditation for deep sleep before you go to sleep can help you in many other ways than just treating Insomnia. It is one of the best age-old techniques for healthy living.
Meditation before sleep benefits in many ways, such as you:
Get ready to embrace tranquillity and wake up refreshed with the powerful benefits of meditation before sleep. So, what are you waiting for? Start your mindfulness journey without delay, allow your mind to breathe, reduce stress, stay calm, be more productive, and have a well-rested sleep schedule. And if you are wondering where to start your journey, try 'Idanim'. This meditation app hosts a variety of meditation techniques by highly experienced teachers/gurus from all across the world.
