Deep Sleep Meditation
Want deep, restful sleep? Try a deep sleep meditation.
Next to a good workout, you can’t beat it… The typical stress of family, relationships, and work can often distract us and cause restless nights.
If you find any of these issues popping up in your life, using meditation can allow you to stay in the moment, be less anxious, and give you a much needed, restful night.
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Multiple studies over the last several years have measured brain activity during sleep cycles with mindfulness meditation practitioners vs. control groups. These replicated studies have shown that practitioners experience greatly enhanced states of Slow Wave Sleep (Deep/Quiet Sleep) in comparison to non-meditating control groups. Meditation seems to have a positive effect on deep sleep for those of all age groups. Meditation and mindfulness practices that remind us to stay in the moment have repeatedly shown to keep an increase and steady rise in peace throughout our life.Mindfulness Meditation Leads to Good Sleep
If you’re someone who has trouble falling asleep at night, meditation before bed can lead to physiological changes that might help. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate sleep, with higher levels in the blood easing us into sleep. In a study comparing meditater's to a control group, night-time plasma melatonin levels were measured. Mediators showed higher plasma melatonin levels at night following their meditation than non-meditater's, with the implication being sleep would be much more likely to follow. Furthermore, much attention in psychology has been focusing on using meditation in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat insomnia. Indeed, a 2008 study showed promising results that patients who used meditation in addition to CBT experienced decreased pre-sleep arousal and decreased sleep dysfunction. In short, they had an easier time falling asleep and sleeping well.
Deep Sleep Meditation for Beginners
Science is beginning to back up and give us greater physiological understanding on how meditation puts our minds in connection with the body. If you’re someone who is just learning to meditate and are having trouble sleeping, try this:As you are lying in bed, close your eyes and begin to take deep breaths in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth. Slowly visualize your body, part-by-part, starting with the feet. Breathe into each body part, and just feel it. With the slow out-breath, just repeat the word “relax” in your mind, here is a to help guide click Video to guide you into deep relax-full sleep.
