Mindfulness Meditation for Improving Sleep: Techniques and Tips

Mindfulness meditation

Concentrating on the here and now is a component of mindfulness meditation. It is accomplished by raising your body’s consciousness level, breathing, and awareness.

Merely watch any thoughts or feelings that come to mind, then allow them to go without putting yourself down.

How to practice mindful awareness?

·         Take your phone and all other sources of distraction out of your room. Make yourself comfortable and lie down.

·         Remember to breathe deeply. Breathe in for 10 counts, then exhale slowly for 10 counts. Ten times, exhale five times in a row.

·         As you inhale, stiffen up your body. Stop, unwind, and breathe out  5 times in total.

·         Keep your body and breath in mind. Consciously relax every area of your body that feels stiff.

·         Slowly shift your attention to your breathing whenever an idea enters your mind.

Mindfulness Meditation Techniques

There are numerous ways to mindful meditation, so you can try out a couple different methods before settling on one. You can try some of these.

1. Visualization

A common kind of sleep meditation called visualization includes imagining a peaceful environment. This method can help if you frequently wake up at night fighting off unpleasant thoughts.

Using visualization techniques, you may control your imagination and conjure up any relaxing scene, such as a placid lake, river, beach, or highlands. It would be best to focus on as many specifics of your surroundings as possible. 

2. Mindful breathing

Trying to suppress your thoughts after a long day is bothersome, but with mindful breathing, you can shift your focus from unpleasant thoughts. Meditation doesn’t necessarily require intense concentration. By simply counting your breath, you can move your focus. Moreover, play some relaxing sleep meditation music before you’re ready to go to bed. This can help you de-stress and go to sleep. The best part is that YouTube offers a variety of meditation music playlists from which you may choose the one that suits you the most.

3. Calming body scan

Consider it like a mental x-ray to best understand what a calming body scan is like. To reduce discomfort, stress, or stiffness, the body scan meditation method entails scanning your body.

Making yourself comfortable is the first step in attempting this method. Then, try to concentrate on each component of your body. Start from your forehead and work your way down to your feet. If you’re carrying any stress in your body, this can let you release it. Nevertheless, if you want to fall asleep more quickly, take the time to relax every inch of your skin as you inspect it.

4. Music for meditative sleep

You might not want to make an effort to suppress your emotions after a hard day. Yet concentration is not always necessary for meditation. This is when soothing music can be useful.

Play some relaxing sleep meditation music when you’re back in bed. This can help you de-stress and go to sleep. The good thing is that YouTube offers a variety of meditation music playlists from which you may choose the one that suits you the most.

5. One-Minute Mindfulness

Using Tara Brach’s one-minute meditation, you may easily regulate your breathing and cultivate a more innate sense of the moment. It is an easy approach to signal to the body that you are getting ready for some sleep. This relaxation can be used shortly before bed or any time during the day you need to recharge.

6. Deep Sleep Music

Another method you might try to help yourself get comfortable into a state of calmness and relaxation is playing deep sleep music. The seven tones in this audio, which correlate to the seven main chakras, are intended to help bring balance to the spiritual body. You become more balanced as you proceed, and falling asleep is much easier.

7. Reflective meditation

You’re awake at night with troubling ideas. Asking yourself a question and searching within are the objectives of reflective meditation. Whatever the query, it must preferably elicit a good reply.

For example, you may think back to the best news you heard today. Try to concentrate on the emotion that surfaced when you found the solution to your inquiry and use that sensation to calm your thoughts. 

8. Practicing belly breathing

The Belly Breathe meditation can help evaluate how your breath feels and flows when awake. Learning to breathe from the belly can assist you physically and psychologically unwinding when you sit down to relax because it helps to trigger deep relaxation. Your feeling of self-awareness and your relationship with your physical body are both improved by this practice. 

9. Release of Stress 

Regardless of whether you’re fully conscious of it, a large portion of your emotional strain is stored in the physical body, disrupting your sleep. The physical body can be deliberately relaxed with the aid of tension release, which also aids in the removal of any internalized energetic or emotional blocks.

You allow the mind to relax along with the physical body, which supports a good night’s sleep. 

10. Meditation of Surrender

You are urged to give in to the love and innate awareness that are all around you in this meditation. Before going to bed, you surrender, letting go of all the concerns and apprehensions that prevent you from getting the restful sleep you need for the best performance. 

Tips for Practicing Mindfulness Meditation for Sleep

Remember that meditation is a discipline. Thus, it will never be perfect. Right now, exactly as you are, you can start!

Sit down and relax

Locate a peaceful, cozy location. Sit in a chair or on the couch with your head, neck, and back upright but not rigid. To prevent distractions, it’s also beneficial to dress comfortably and loosely.

Therefore, attire is unnecessary because this exercise can be performed anywhere at any time.

Think of a timer

Although it’s not required, a timer (ideally with a low, soothing alarm) can assist you in focusing on your mindfulness and losing track of time, removing any potential distractions. It can also ensure you aren’t sitting for an excessive amount of time because many folks may lose track of time while doing it. Don’t forget to give yourself some time to wake up and slowly stand up after meditating.

Although some folks practice meditation for longer intervals, a few mins daily can be beneficial. Start with a brief 5-minute meditation session and gradually extend it by 10 minutes so that you can sit in stillness for 30 minutes without feeling uncomfortable.

Observe your breathing

Become attentive to the feeling of air entering and leaving your body while you breathe. As the air passes through and out of your nostrils, you’ll feel your tummy rise and fall. Give awareness to how the temperature changes between the inhaled and expelled breath.

Take Note of Your Thoughts

The objective is to become more at ease with being the “observer” of the emotions rather than to stop thinking. Don’t dismiss or repress emotions that occur to you. Instead, acknowledge them. Please take notice of them, stay composed, and then embrace your breathing as a centering force. Think of your ideas as flying clouds, and observe how they ebb and flow as they do. The number of times you need to do this while meditating is up to you.

Take a Time for Yourself

If you notice that your thoughts are getting out of control—whether driven by fear, anxiety, stress, or hope—observe where your emotions have gone without passing judgment and return to your breathing. If this occurs, don’t be too tough on yourself; meditation constantly brings your attention back to your breath and the present moment.

Install an App

Consider using an application that offers free meditations and a range of methods to help you stay centered throughout the day if you’re having problems practicing mindfulness meditation on your own.

Conclusion

For many people, sleeping can be challenging. Lack of quality sleep can frequently be caused by stress and a busy mind.  Meditation can assist in promoting improved sleep quality by calming the mind.

And remember that while meditation can help you sleep better, it cannot substitute for practicing proper sleep habits. This entails maintaining a regular sleep schedule, turning off gadgets, keeping your room calm, quiet, and dark, and avoiding caffeine and fatty foods before bed.