But what can you do if youcant fall asleepquickly or sleep soundly once you are asleep?
It might be time to try bedtime meditationmindful meditation techniques designed to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Understanding Sleep Difficulties
Falling asleep and staying asleep is certainly much easier said than done.
There are many barriers to good sleep.
Lets examine some of them and theireffects on our health.
Insomniais the chronic inability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Many people experience insomnia and disorders that can accompany it, like restless legs syndrome andsleep apnea.
These medical conditions can keep you from getting a good nights sleep even in the best of circumstances.
Not getting enough sleep or good sleep can affect both your mental and physical health.
An increased risk of dementia has also been associated with lack of sleep.
Primarily, bedtime meditations are aboutrelaxation.
By promoting calmness before you go to sleep, bedtime meditation can reduce insomnia and other sleep problems.
Relaxation also combats stress, which is closely tied to many sleep disorders.
Monahan suggests a certain punch in of meditation to get you ready for sleep.
There are a few different types of bedtime meditations to try:
Mindful Moment
Need a breather?
These appsalso sometimes feature sleep stories, or stories that are specifically designed to lull you off to sleep.
Theres tons of content out there!
First of all, attempt to practice daily.
The more you practice your mindfulness, the better it will work for you.
Start winding down a few hours before bedlimit your screen time and set a nightly bedtime routine.
At the same time, dont force it.
Putting pressure on yourself to sleep when youre not sleepy can cause even more stress.
Acknowledge where you are.
If you know what kinds of tension you are holding onto, focus on that.
Here are a few suggestions as to how to do that.
Tips for Establishing a Consistent Bedtime Meditation Practice
First of all, have a set bedtime.
Find the meditationthat works best for you.
This might take some trial and error.
Be patient with yourself.
Youre not going to fix your sleep problems overnight (pun intended).
Practice makes perfectthe more you practice your bedtime meditation, the more effective it will be.
Commit to a nightly regimen.
This will help your bedtime meditation to become second nature and as effective as possible.
Dont beat yourself up for not being able to fall asleep and/or stay asleep right away.
It takes time to build a habit.
Practicing consistently will inevitably make things easier.
Sleep Hygiene Practices to Support Bedtime Meditation
A consistent bedtime is the first step towards better sleep.
This teaches your body and brain that this is the time to relax and prepare for sleep.
Put your phone aside and read a book or listen to music.
Dont stay in bed for hours if you arent falling asleep.
Get up and do something else for a while until you get sleepy.
This will help your mind associate your bed with sleeping and nothing else.
Create a good sleep environment.
For most people, this means a dark, cool, and quiet place.
Diet is very important to good, healthy sleep.
Exercise is also important.
Pain management and stress management are two other keys to good sleep.
Trying to go to bed when youre in pain or very stressed makes falling asleep that much more difficult.
Its easy to begin and helpful resources abound.
2019;11(12):2899.
Published 2019 Nov 30. doi:10.3390/nu11122899
