Sleep

Mindfulness and meditation for sleep includes techniques, practices, and tools to relieve the conditions that most often keep us awake.

The body and the mind require relaxation in order to go to sleep. Usually by the end of the day, we’re mentally and physically tired, which allows us to naturally fall into a deep, restorative sleep. But sometimes it’s not that simple. A busy mind, overstimulation, worry, stress, and physical tension can all interfere with our ability to relax deeply enough to fall asleep.

This is where mindfulness, including meditation, can help.

A mindful breathing practice allows you to disengage from worried thoughts keeping you awake. A body scan helps you release tension so you can enjoy better sleep. Meditation creates a sense of peace and ease, allowing your mind and body to rest into deep sleep.

It makes sense that a restful environment is important for sleep—it’s easy to see how noise and light, as examples, could keep us awake. But there are other factors, external and internal, that can disrupt our ability to sleep through the night.

• Eating and drinking late in the day
• Overstimulation from electronic devices
• Thinking about problems before going to bed
• Consuming too much caffeine or sugar
• Not getting enough exercise
• Keeping work or to-do items within view

Establishing a good pre-sleep routine may be as important for getting a good night’s sleep as quiet and darkness.