



Imagine lying in bed with racing thoughts. You’re thinking of all the problems that happened during the day and what you could have done about them, making sleep feel almost impossible. If you can’t seem to stop these thoughts no matter what you’ve tried, perhaps meditation could be the missing piece that you need.
Choosing the right meditation can help you to release the stress and tension from the day for better sleep at night. Let’s explore some of the best meditations for a relaxing sleep at night.
Getting good-quality sleep is no easy feat. In fact, as much as one-third of the adult population globally struggle with sleep disturbances and symptoms of insomnia [1].
How can we combat this? While there are many different methods to combat sleep problems, including lifestyle changes and natural sleep supplements, one effective method is meditation.
According to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine that involved 49 middle-aged and older adults who had problems sleeping, it was found that the group who had completed a mindfulness meditation program experienced less insomnia and fatigue by the end of the sessions [2].
Based on this, it seems to suggest that sleep meditation practices may evoke a relaxation response which helps us achieve a restful sleep.
So, now that you have some understanding of how meditation practice can be beneficial in helping you improve sleep quality, you might probably wonder how to get started on it.
Here are 5 calming guided meditation audios for you to choose from. As a first-timer, you want to try listening to a few different kinds of audios until you find one that makes you feel relaxed and at ease. This is also a good option if you don’t really know how to create your own meditation script as there’s voice guidance.
As a beginner, it’s always difficult to determine if you are practicing correctly and if it’s working. A good way to ensure an effective meditation practice is to start off with short, 5 to 10-minute guided meditations until you feel comfortable with it. Then, gradually increase the duration according to the duration needed for you to relax and wind down.
Apart from that, you also want to ensure that you are in a quiet space that’s free from distractions. Feel free to also experiment with different meditation techniques such as visualization meditation or body scan meditation.
While you are trying to learn and get used to using meditation for sleep, you want to avoid some common mistakes like not practicing it consistently and jumping too quickly to longer meditation durations before learning to adapt to shorter ones first.
Besides meditation practices, you may also try making lifestyle changes or practicing good sleep hygiene to help you fall asleep faster.
Some of these tips include:
Meditation is a powerful tool that can help you to improve your sleep quality and get deeper sleep as it evokes a relaxation response. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, this may be a good option for you to try. That being said, if you have a sleep disorder like insomnia that severely impacts your daily functioning, you are strongly advised to seek the help of a sleep specialist or medical professional for a treatment plan.
If you’re looking to try a natural way to fall asleep, try out the ShutEye® app. ShutEye® helps you to track your sleep patterns, offering personalized sleep tips to enhance your sleep quality naturally. Try it today for free!