Meditation for sleep should be approached the same way we approach meditation in the daytime: gently, with a relaxed focus. What to expect when meditating to fall asleep The course trains the mind for long-term, sustainable change the single meditation is a specific exercise to send you to sleep. It’s recommended that the 30-day Sleep course be used during the day, in conjunction with the single sleep meditation at bedtime. By gradually training the mind in a specific way - day by day, for a month - you gradually create an environment conducive to a good night’s rest. Headspace’s 30-day Sleep course (available only to Headspace subscribers), for example, isn’t designed to send you to sleep in the moment it’s designed to change your relationship with sleep. More often than not, our issues around sleep are rooted in our thinking processes. Restful sleep largely depends on having a rested mind, and so the preparation can begin with your mindset. Sleep falls into a unique category in that good quality Zzzs require much more than doing a simple meditation in bed. Meditation for quality sleep – during the day Why might you choose to meditate before bed? Especially if you have insomnia or difficulty falling asleep, meditation has been shown to improve the quality and efficiency of sleep, how quickly you fall asleep, and how long you can stay awake during the day.Ĭompleting a meditation for sleep before bed can help you to fall asleep faster once asleep, you’re likely to sleep more soundly, too. Studies regularly connect improved sleep with providing a greater sense of wellbeing. Improved sleep also affects our immune systems), encourages better eating habits and weight management.īetter sleep has even been linked to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s. Increased and better sleep, on the other hand, can lower levels of stress, and improve mental clarity and memory. People who are sleep deprived also tend to make more errors at work and drive more dangerously on the road. Sleep deprivation can cause impairments in short and long term memory), decision making), attention), and reaction time). Regularly sleeping fewer than seven hours per night increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, unhealthy eating habits that can lead to other chronic illnesses. These effects were seen mostly in people who were highly engaged with their devices throughout the day, and even more so in those who went to sleep with their phone ringers turned on (even for use as an alarm clock) or other interruptive devices nearby. Unfortunately, mindless screen and technology use is negatively associated with solid sleep: one study showed that the more devices an individual uses in a given day, the more difficulty they may have falling and staying asleep. Many of us even sleep with cell phones under our pillows or next to our faces with the ringer on. Technology has also contributed to increased sleep problems: 90% of Americans use technology during the hour before bed (this includes watching tv, using cell phones, playing video games, using computers, and more).

Of course, the thoughts have been there all along it’s just that without any distractions, you become aware of them. You know how it goes: You put your head on the pillow and it appears as though the mind suddenly goes into overdrive. Sometimes we simply can’t fall asleep or stay asleep due to a range of biological forces and lifestyle choices. We can see this reflected in phrases like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” or “You snooze, you lose.” More recently, however, sleep has emerged in research and culture as an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.Īlmost half of us are sleep deprived - but not because we don’t want to sleep. Some people feel pride or resilience in their ability to function well without sleep. This problem has even birthed an entire industry: In 2014, people around the world spent $58 billion on sleep-aids, a figure projected to rise to $76.7 billion by 2019. 30% of people report difficulty falling and staying asleep at least a few times per month 6% experience insomnia on a near-nightly basis. Research shows that Americans lack proper sleep: Most adults function best when they sleep 7-9 hours per night, but over 40% of Americans sleep fewer than 7 hours nightly, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Yet, as a society, we don’t always treat it this way. Sleep is as critical to our wellbeing as food, water or shelter.

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