Want to Increase Shut Eye? Try These 6 Meditation Techniques Before Bed

Tight deadlines, stressful relações, troubling global news and toxic social media can take a toll on you and your stress levels. High anxiety can keep you up at night and hinder your body’s ability to rest, which is where meditation for sleep comes in.

What Is Meditation for Sleep?

This relaxation technique lets your body release stress and helps ease it into a calmer state before resting. Sleep meditation can help you relax, so you fall asleep faster and experience a higher quality of sleep.

Sleep and stress are two sides of the same coin — too much stress will lead to reduced sleep and sleeplessness can cause stress. That is why it’s important to wind down after a full day of work to let your body prepare for sleep. Rushing to bed right after activities may lead to a night of restlessness and daytime fatigue the next day.

The benefits of meditation go beyond better sleep quality. It may also help increase the production of melatonin — a hormone that induces rest. One study showed people who practiced meditation for sleep had increased melatonin production compared to those who didn’t. Some other benefits of sleep meditation include the following:

• Improved concentration

• Reduced inflammation

• Increased pain tolerance

• Lower stress and anxiety levels

• Regular blood pressure

6 Kinds of Meditation for Sleep

Sleep is a significant factor in physical and mental wellness. While resting, your body should have lower cortisol levels — a stress hormone that impacts your immune system. If you’re too stressed, it can disrupt your sleep, leading to you getting sicker more often.

In addition, a lack of sleep affects the cardiovascular system. It links with other functions like glucose control, memory, learning, behavior and emotions, as well.

On the other hand, deep sleep helps the body restore its immune system, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and stabilizes blood sugar levels. Getting good, quality rest does wonders for the body and sleep meditation can help get you there. Here are six examples to get you started.

1. Visualization

This popular technique entails imagining a relaxing setting to help you ease yourself to sleep. It’s especially helpful if you have sleep anxiety or are troubled with thoughts from your day.

Visualization lets you picture things in your mind and orchestrate anything to help you feel calmer and more relaxed. Putting yourself at ease can be as simple as imagining yourself in a relaxing environment and adding other comforting details that complete the visualization, like soothing sounds or scenery.

2. Relaxing Body Scan

Knowing your body is key to effective sleep meditation. If you rarely listen to your body’s signs and symptoms, you might find it challenging to understand what it’s trying to tell you.

Check your body for signs of pain, tension or stiffness. These are natural indicators your body uses to warn you of stress and other problems. Release any tension, focusing on one body part at a time.

3. Mindful Breathing

Focusing on breathing can help you find your center and become more mindful of your body. Block out other distractions and troubling thoughts from your day to prepare yourself for a calm night of relaxing sleep.

Your breaths can help you take your mind off whatever troubles you. One good way to start with this kind of meditation for sleep is to try diaphragm breathing. Here are some quick steps you can take:

• In a comfortable position, place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.

• Breathe deeply through your nose and feel your belly push your hand out as you inhale.

• Breathe out with your mouth as if you’re whistling. Using the hand on your stomach, push the rest of the remaining air out as gently as you can.

• Try this breathing exercise for three to 10 cycles.

4. Sleep Meditation Music

Music can do more than make you dance — it can also help you relax. Put on a soothing tune during your meditation sessions and soon, you’ll find your mind and body in harmony.

Blocking out all the negative thoughts from your mind by concentrating on the soothing sounds will help you find your center. This adds to relaxation and helps prepare your body for good-quality sleep. Luckily, many meditation playlists on YouTube and Spotify exist, so you can listen to soothing music as long as you like.

5. Reflective Meditation

Being mindful can also apply to what you feel inside. Reflect on your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Look deep within yourself and recognize what’s bothering you. This exercise will help you understand yourself better as you look inward.

Let go of negative thoughts and focus on the good things you can think of. Let go of problems you can’t control, freeing yourself from their hold.

6. Yoga Nidra

This type of meditation is applicable for improving sleep and managing anxiety. Yoga Nidra — or “yogic sleep” — is a series of techniques that can induce a deep state of relaxation that alters your brain waves. Depending on our intent, it can address rest or stress issues.

Yoga Nidra comprises several steps, including some aspects of other sleep meditation techniques mentioned above. You feel your way into it instead of thinking through it.

Doing this kind of meditation may require a certified trainer at first. Once you’re familiar with the steps, you can meditate whenever restlessness and anxiety attacks hit you.

Make Your Bed and Sleep In It

Go ahead — light a scented candle and put on a soothing melody. Cozy up in your bed, fluff up your pillows and prepare your body for a session of meditation for sleep. Once you find a comfortable position, try these techniques — your mind and body will thank you for it the next day.