In the super fast pacing life of today plus the typical lifestyle, surviving has become rather a challenge. The technology and various other advancements have surely made our lives easier, but it comes with a cost. Call it stress, fatigue, anxiety or anything of that sort. Some people complain that their sleep is affected on a daily basis. The reason is not so much like a serious medical condition, but they tend to suffer when going to bed. This is often termed as insomnia, a condition when a person is not able to sleep properly. Insufficient sleep invites other serious problems such as a headache, chronic stress and other such things which may affect your daily health. In such a condition, rather than going for over the counter medications, you can instead try sleep meditation to deal with such problems.
- Some people state the problem of insomnia as the constant “turned on” brain.
- They often say that at sleep time, they tend to think of things that don’t really matter, only to find that it is not letting them calm down and go to sleep.
- This may be because of an unhealthy lifestyle. An improper diet, more than normal exposure to the screen, stressful situations, guilt, etc.
- This may sound like a simple problem but it is a big one. Improper sleep routine causes hormonal imbalance, stomach issues, headaches, stress, migraine etc.
- It is said that an average human requires around 7-8 hours of sleep on a daily basis to stay healthy and fit. Some people also believe that regular insufficient sleep can even reduce life expectancy.
Your mind needs to relax. One of the best ways that have proven to be worth it when it comes to relaxing your mind and body is meditation. When it comes specifically to sleep, it is called sleep meditation.
Sleep Meditation: What and How?
Sometimes it happens that someone’s mind won’t shut off at night. Maybe they keep thinking about their past or any other random things that might not really matter. Whatever goes on in your mind is something which is hampering your sleep and not letting you relax during the night. This is harmful to your complete general health. Sleep Meditation is a type of meditation that helps you control and shut out these random thoughts and relax your mind. Practicing regular meditation will help you be calmer and be able to go to sleep faster and with lesser effort.
Many people around the world have been relying on sleep meditation to calm themselves to sleep and cure insomnia. Some people do prefer to go for clinical medications. But they can be very expensive and may have side effects in the future. A meditation, however, may help you, in the long run, to even bring positivity in your thoughts and is totally inexpensive.
Since we are here talking about meditation that helps with sleep problems, there can be a number of such type of meditations. Depending on your comfort level, you can go for the one which suits and benefits you in the best way. Here are some different types of meditations for your sleep.
Type of Meditations
1. Guided Sleep Meditations
Guided meditations, as the name suggests, are some guided forms of instructions. These instructions tell you what to think at the moment that can help your mind calm down and relax at the moment. We go to sleep when our mind is at peace and our body is relaxed. Since the mind is not able to do that itself, which it should normally, a guided meditation will help bring the mind to that peace. If you are new to sleep meditation, it is best that you begin with a guided one, so that you get a clearer idea of how it all should be.
- When we talk about guidance, it may be through an audio file in which a person narrates a scenery or a happy place where you can imagine yourself to be at peace.
- Some guided meditations can be about focussing on a certain thing and shutting out all other random thoughts. For example, it can ask you to concentrate on breathing. Inhaling and exhaling and only thinking about that is sure to take your mind off the trivial stuff and put your body and mind at ease so that you can fall asleep faster.
- These guided meditations not only help your sleep, but they also help in reducing stress and anxiety. If you follow meditations on a regular basis, you will be the in charge of what your mind is thinking and what it is shutting out. You can easily shut out the thoughts that cause you pain and anxiety. Plus, when you fall asleep quicker and better, you will naturally be relieved of the stress.
2. Transcendental Meditation
In this meditation, a teacher gives you a mantra to enchant or recite, whenever you cannot fall asleep. You are then required to quietly enchant this mantra or you can even enchant it out loud until your mind feels at ease. After a while, when you experience peace, sleep comes naturally. This is the simplest form of meditation which is carried out across India for a long time.
3. Body Scan Meditation
This type of meditation helps a great deal when you not only want to relax your mind but your complete body. This is the best form of meditation for those who describe their mind as “busy minds”, that won’t shut off during bedtime.
In this, you close your eyes and try to scan your body from head to toe. While scanning, you try and relax each and every part of your body. This helps your body to get into a comfortable and easy position and your mind to focus solely on your body and not the other random thoughts.
4. Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation refers to a kind of bedtime meditation that required you to focus just on one thing. When your mind in focus, it gives you the power to control your thoughts. When you are able to control your thoughts, you become capable of shutting out the thoughts that hinder your sleep and well-being.
Focussing on just one thing can involve anything. For example, you can focus on your breathing only. Your mind knows only to notice the way you are inhaling and exhaling. You can take deeper breathes to help your mind relax even more. This kind of meditation has positive effects on your brain as well as your body.
5. Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation can be same as the transcendental meditation. The difference is just that in TM, a teacher gives you a mantra to recite. While in Mantra meditation, you can choose your own mantra that you think is the most favorable to you.
Guided Deep Sleep Meditations
There are a number of deep sleep medications that can help you have a good night sleep which is deeper and more relaxing. Some of the best kinds of guided meditations for a deep sleep are mentioned as follows:
- Blissful Deep Relaxation by The Honest Guys- This is a guided meditation which is an audio of soothing sounds and is very easy to follow for beginners and others.
- Guided Sleep Meditation for Insomnia by Lina Grace.
- Guided Meditation for Deepest Sleep-Ascension from Earth to Stars (Sleep Meditation Dreaming) by Michael Sealey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sleep Meditation
1. Are medications more effective than meditation?
It may be faster in response to your insomnia problem than a meditation, but in the long run, medications can have many side effects on your body. These side effects can be:
- Falling a lot
- Confused and depressed most of the time.
- Feeling and hearing things that are not actually present.
- Dizziness
- Fainting unexpectedly or experiencing light head more often.
- Breathing problems.
- Rashes on the skin
- Swelling appearing over the face.
- Abnormal heartbeats: fast or slow
- Not much help with the sleeping problems.
- Ugly mood swings and getting irritated easily.
These are some of the side effects of medications. It may help you at the moment but can have drastic effects on your body for later. Therefore, it is advised to go for meditation since it helps in inducing positivity to your thoughts and helps your entire body instead.
2. What is yoga nidra for sleep?
Yoga Nidra for sleep is also often termed as Yogic sleep. This is a state when your mind in between sleeping and consciousness. It is said to work towards the healing of the emotions. A term commonly used as ‘rewire your brain’. Yoga Nidra is a kind of sleep meditation that can help you reshape your thoughts and organize them such as to bring your mind to peace easily.
3. How often should I practice sleep meditation?
You can start with the guided sleep mediation every night till you are naturally being able to fall asleep easily. However, to remain calm and peaceful during the day, you can start your day with a mindfulness meditation in the morning. This will help you keep your mind focussed and induce positive thoughts so that you can be calm during the day.
Read more – 5 Minutes Self Meditation Can Change Your Life!