In our busy lives getting good sleep that really refreshes us is something a lot of people struggle with. If you often find yourself restless at night you could try an old practice that more people are starting to embrace these days meditation. Adding meditation to your nightly routine can really help improve how well you sleep and make you feel better overall. Let's look at a few simple ways to add meditation to your nightly routine and help you sleep better.
Exploring how meditation relates to sleep
Before we get into the different ways to meditate for better sleep we should first look at why meditation can help with sleep. Meditation helps lower stress and anxiety which are big reasons people struggle with sleep and have trouble resting well at night. When you meditate you kickstart your parasympathetic nervous system and this helps you feel more relaxed.
Also meditation helps you pay attention to what is happening right now without being critical. Being aware of your thoughts can clear your mind of the worries that keep you up at night. If you practice meditation often it can help you create a relaxing routine before bed which makes it easier and more pleasant to fall asleep.
How to Set Up a Good Evening Meditation Habit
If you want to get better sleep from meditation you need to stick with it and pay attention to where you do it. Here is a simple guide to adding meditation to your nightly routine:
1. Pick Your Area: Pick a calm and cozy spot for your evening meditation. You might have a little spot in your bedroom with soft light and calming things like candles or a tiny fountain. Make this a place where you can unwind and not be bothered.
2. Make a plan for when you will do things: Try to meditate at the same time every night so it becomes a regular part of your routine. It doesn’t matter if it’s just before you go to sleep or right after you eat dinner doing the same thing every day tells your body it’s time to relax.
3. Choose a method: Some meditation methods work really well for helping people sleep. You might want to give yoga nidra a shot which is a type of guided sleep meditation or maybe try body scan meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. These activities aim to soothe the mind and help the body let go of stress.
4. Add some breathing exercises: Breathing exercises can really help when you meditate. Methods like the 4-7-8 breathing technique can help you relax fast and get your body ready for sleep. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds then hold it for seven seconds and finally breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds.
5. Try listening to some guided meditations: If you are just starting out guided meditations can really help you keep your attention. You can find a lot of apps and websites that have guided sleep meditations made to help you fall asleep. These sessions often have soothing guidance soft music and peaceful visuals.
6. Keep your focus and stick with it: Starting a meditation practice takes time and dedication just like any other new habit. At first your efforts might not change how you sleep right away but if you keep at it you will probably see some slow changes in how easily you can fall asleep and stay asleep.
Improving the atmosphere of your night time space
Your sleep setting can really affect how well you sleep even more than meditation. Try to cut down on your screen time for about an hour before you go to sleep and make sure your bedroom is cool dark and quiet. Using essential oils like lavender or chamomile can enhance your meditation routine and make your bedtime ritual more soothing.
Keeping an eye on how you are doing
When you start doing meditation at night it could be a good idea to keep an eye on how you sleep. Write in a journal about how well you sleep and any differences you notice as time goes by. This approach helps people see the good things about meditation and also pushes them to keep doing it regularly.
To wrap things up even though life can be really busy taking some time to meditate might help you find a bit of calm and get the good sleep that a lot of people struggle to have. If you make a habit of taking time to relax and be mindful you might find it easier to sleep better at night. Try adding meditation to your nighttime routine and see how it helps you sleep better.
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