Heads up: This article was commissioned as a part of the Adam Rush Project. It was an experiment I did a few years ago to see if having books written by ghostwriters would be commercially viable. It wasn't. That said, the following article was written by someone else and not yet edited to my standards. I hope to find time to rewrite it myself in the future, but for now, read with caution.
Disclaimer: I wish I could tell you that I’m a doctor, but I can’t. I’m just an inquisitive author with a background in science and a love for practical research. The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. If you want medical advice, ask a real doctor.
When it comes to sleep, meditation has one of the most pivotal roles to play. Not only does it induce sleep, but it also treats several sleep disorders. Meditation can reverse the effects of insomnia. In the following section, I will give you detailed insights on how meditation can help you.
Meditation Changes Your Brainwaves
Most of us know how frustrating it can be when we are aware we need to sleep, but can’t seem to fall asleep. The brain waves we experience during bouts of insomnia are beta brain waves. They are the same brain waves that we have when we are anxious or depressed. They also induce negative thoughts and delay the process of falling asleep. As the night wears on, beta brain wave activity increases. The negative feedback then works in a loop to slow the process of falling asleep.
Meditation can help you win your nightly battles against beta brain waves. Studies show that experienced meditators had fewer instances where they experienced insomnia. It is because their brains produce more of the positive alpha, theta, and delta brain waves.
Meditation Reduces Restlessness
Meditation brings us closer to peace with ourselves. If you’re not meditating yet, you’re missing out on a daily ritual of many successful people. Proponents of meditation include Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas, and the late Steve Jobs. A daily 20-minute meditation session can have an enormous impact on your life. It will calm your mind and in turn, help you to fall asleep. Meditation will also help you wipe away worries and negative thoughts. So every day, try to close your eyes and spend time in quiet solitude. While closing your eyes, focus on the present. Drive away all thoughts and concentrate on your breathing. It might be difficult for beginners. Start by spending the first twenty minutes of each day in silence with no distractions. Try it for at least a week and see if it improves your life.
An important part of meditation is to thank yourself every time you do it. After your meditation sessions, thank yourself for giving the effort and time. Thank yourself for spending a few moments in health, well-being, and self-learning. It will make you happy. You will gain inner peace if you continue this process on a consistent basis. In fact, thanking yourself for meditating is a kind of energy healing. Try this to get the best from life.
Meditation Produces Melatonin
Melatonin is one of the most powerful neurochemicals that help you fall asleep. Your brain produces this chemical. The levels of melatonin peak right before you go into deep sleep. But stress can hamper your production of melatonin and inhibit your natural sleep cycle. Low melatonin can create mental, physical and emotional issues. You can lower stress and increase melatonin by meditating. Research at Rutgers University shows meditation before sleep can almost double melatonin levels. Some participants in the study even quadrupled their melatonin by meditating. Meditation rebalances your biological markers and helps you get consistent deep sleep. Meditating before sleep will help you wake up feeling rejuvenated every morning.
Mindful Sleeping
Mindfulness teaches us to explore our experiences. It teaches us to find happiness from simple daily activities. It teaches us to gain real peace and satisfaction even from mundane tasks. It teaches us to pause every once in awhile during our hectic and busy lifestyles. With mindfulness, we concentrate on not judging. We focus on living in the present moment. Mindfulness can help us rest easy at night even through the most difficult times.
Often, we experience emotional difficulties. The smallest things negatively affect us. Unkind words from the past haunt us. Fear of the future affects our thoughts. We are vengeful towards the people who have done wrong to us. We lose sleep and toss and turn in bed. At such moments, meditation and mindfulness exercises are necessary. With these exercises, you will learn to control your emotions and your thoughts. These exercises will teach you to forgive. They will help you to pay attention to your purpose in life. These insights on mindfulness can help whether you suffer from depression, stress, or fear.
Both our past and the future are outside of our control. No matter what we do, nothing will affect either the past or the future. So there’s no point in worrying and brooding over the aspects of life that we cannot change. That’s what mindfulness teaches us. The following sections will show you the importance of living life in the moment. You will learn why you should live in the present and give 100% effort to make it better. Look to mindfulness if you want to let go of your fears of the future and regrets from the past to sleep better.
What Keeps Us Awake?
We often get worked up about things that had happened in the past or that are likely to occur in future. We ponder about events that happened long ago that we cannot change. At the same time, we waste time thinking about things we will do far in the future. Indulging in thoughts of the past and future will only deviate you from the path of mindfulness. You will never sleep well if you’re brooding about problems of the past or how you’re going to spend your retirement.
The key to good sleep is living in the moment and focusing on the now. What’s the point of wasting your time thinking about things that you cannot change? What’s the point in making plans when you don’t know where life will take you?
Mindfulness teaches us to erase thoughts of the past and future from our minds. It teaches us to focus on the present. There are no problems and hassles in the present moment. There’s only an innate sense of calmness, and it is from within this calmness that you will discover peace. Remember that for every second of regret or worry, you are losing a precious moment from your present. When you focus on the present, sleeping will be easier, and life will be simpler.
A few years back, I used to be a worked up and hyperactive person. I used to brood about the past and make many plans at the same time. But after some time, I realized that these thoughts of past and future were not taking me anywhere. I was losing sleep and tossing and turning in bed at every hour. I was thinking about the past at the cost of my health. It was then when I realized that I could never be happy if I didn’t stop brooding right away. It was then when I started following the first key guideline of mindfulness. I began living in the present.
Once I started living in the present, most of my problems seemed to go away. My life became more peaceful since then. I could sleep better. I no longer had to prepare myself for sleep.
You might be wondering how to get started with a mindfulness practice. The process takes some effort. But once you start, there is no looking back. Begin by turning off your television and reducing computer use. Slow down. There are so many distractions in our lives that we can do without. Try to feel the present moment. Try to savor it the simple act of living.
If past thoughts or plans for the future drive you, close your eyes and try to think about the present moment. It may be difficult to concentrate on the present with the distractions around you. But once you get started, things will become easier. Instead of brooding and pondering, focus on the things you are doing right now. Whether you’re cooking, doing chores, working, or enjoying a cup of coffee, give all your attention to the present. Relish in your life, and you will find happiness. Your emotions will turn positive.
Guided Meditation for Better Sleep
Many people intend to enjoy a sense of peace and fulfillment. While sleeping, you enter into a state of absolute relaxation and inner peace. You also learn to release your anxieties and shed all those beliefs that limit your options. Meditation is a process that starts within you. When you do something that makes your soul smile, you attract abundance. Also, the more you share, the more comes back to you. You need to be grateful for the things you receive, as gratitude is the key factor of meditating. It aligns your energy with the thought that you can achieve anything. But did you know that you can attract abundance with a simple guided meditation? Isn’t it comforting to know that you can have everything that you always wanted to have? I have found this meditation script helpful. Follow this script to attract abundance and embrace positivity in your life.
- Choose a place where no one will interrupt you. Make yourself comfortable. You can sit on a soft pillow, lie down or sit crossed legged according to your discretion.
- Now, close your eyes and relax. Do not let any thoughts affect your state of mind. Be calm.
- Take deep breaths. Relax.
- Bring your attention to the center of your heart. Visualize a powerful ray of energy emerging from your heart. Let it pass through your body. You will now feel a subtle sensation. Relax.
- Say to yourself: “I am safe, loved and guided by this ray of energy. This ray is the unalloyed love, gratitude, and abundance that I always craved. I send my thanks and love to the universe and to everyone around me: my family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and every other stranger who desire the abundance of love. The more I share, the more abundantly will I be gifted by God [or The Universe].” Relax. Pause.
- Think about the things you have. Do not let unhappy thoughts haunt you. Do not think about the things that you don’t have or about scarcity. Rather, reflect on every one of those things that God [The Universe] has gifted you.
- Remind yourself that you are lucky. You are gifted. You are loved, and people care for you. You have the abundance of love. Remember, gratitude is the key factor for attaining anything. It makes way for abundance in our lives. It transforms chaos into order, stress into relaxation, bricks into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude gives you an innate sense of peace and incites a positive energy within you.
- Continue with your eyes closed. Picture tiny thought bubbles emerging from your heart. Watch them rise high above the Earth. Watch them float free. Observe how strong, perfect and powerful they are. These bubbles are your emotions of gratitude and satisfaction. Let them disperse in all directions.
- Remind yourself, craving things you do not have will not take you anywhere. Dwelling on the past and brooding will only make you unhappy. Obsession about the future will affect your present performance. You can gain abundance only when you live in the present moment. The present will guide you to the right direction for attracting abundance. Loosen yourself. Sink amidst the immense abundance of the universe.
- Now, open your eyes. Take a pen and paper to write down all the wonderful things in your life. Breathe in and out while jotting down the points. You have now attained abundance by accepting what life has for you. You have now achieved abundance by shunning thoughts of scarcity.
- Affirmation: “I will avoid all thoughts of scarcity and attract abundance by being grateful.”
Easy Techniques for Relaxation
In our busy and chaotic world, our minds get diverted from one thought to another. It scatters our thought processes and keeps us stressed out and anxious.
Some of us don’t even get time for a five-minute break each day, let alone a meditation session of 30 minutes. But then, it is necessary for us to make time for breaks and meditation sessions to ensure our well-being. It also keeps our body well-balanced and helps us enjoy better sleep.
So if you’re a super busy person like me, these handy mindfulness exercises will work wonders. The exercises are practical, and they won’t take much of your time. Check them out.
One-Minute Breathing Sessions
Here is one of the simplest mindfulness exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime. Start this exercise by breathing in and out. Take long, deep breaths. Count to six in your head while holding your breath after inhaling. Breathe out slowly, allowing your breath to disperse into the atmosphere.
At this point, your mind might wander. Observe these thoughts but don’t concentrate on them while you watch your breath. Try to watch the entire process of your breath flowing in the air and re-entering your body to fill you with life. Try to understand the power and energy of your breath. It is one of the best mindfulness exercises for anyone who is getting started. Try this for more focus and greater concentration levels.
Observing Your Surroundings
Staying mindful of our surroundings is one of the best mindfulness exercises. The idea of this exercise is simple, but its effects are powerful. With these observations, we connect with the beauty of nature which we often miss.
Begin by picking any natural element and observing it for 2-3 minutes. It can be anything: a flower, a plant, an insect, an animal or even the moon. Don’t let thoughts ruin your concentration. Simply notice the element. Notice it well. Look at it as if this is the first time you’ve seen it. Visual exploration is essential to reach happiness and inner peace. Try to explore and delve into the intricacies of every single element of nature. Let the presence, and the possibilities of these items consume you. Let your spirit loose. Let it connect with these natural elements. This exercise will work wonders in making you more patient and driving a sense of inner peace within you.
Scanning Your Body
Here is another exercise that is both straightforward and quick. For this exercise, begin by scanning your body from head to toe as you meditate. Try to feel any sensations of tension, anxiety, and discomfort in each part of your body. Once you identify these feelings, try to soften them. Also, try to find those sensations that ease your body and give you solace. Following this exercise will give you your much craved inner peace and comfort.
Mindful Sessions of Listening
Here is one of the most significant and effective mindfulness exercises. With this exercise, you can leave your past and focus on a present, neutral state.
For a mindful session of listening, begin by choosing any music that you’ve never heard before. Play this music via headphones or a pair of good speakers. Now close your eyes and lose yourself in the journey of music. Do not think about the genre or artist of the piece. The idea is to delve amidst the beauty of music. The idea is to become one with the piece of music you’re listening to.
Journaling Before Sleep
You are lying on your bed and trying to sleep. But instead of drifting off to sleep, small things start bothering you. An old mistake or an error that you are anxious about making is troubling you. As the clock ticks by, your mind keeps focusing on these thoughts and sleep eludes you. Well, you are not alone, because many of us experience the same issue. Although meditation is one of the best ways to handle it, another useful way is journaling. If you make it a point to write every night before you sleep, it both relaxes you and helps you to stay calm. Write about all your worries and everything that bothers you. Write whatever comes to your head. Only 15 minutes of writing can make you happy and relaxed. Try to focus on the more positive things to get into a better state before sleep. Making this your habit will not only help you to relax but also help you enjoy better sleep.
Visual Overriding
Here is another excellent way to get restful sleep. The idea of visual overriding is simple. All you need to do is distract yourself from the thoughts that affect you. Do this before going to bed. Play a game like Tetris for 10-15 minutes before you go to sleep. Remember to set your smartphone’s brightness as low as you can and remove the blue light if possible.
Summary
- A daily meditation practice can help you sleep better.
- Living in the present will free you from regret and worry. It eliminates a common cause of insomnia.
- Try a guided meditation at bedtime.
- Other exercises that can help you sleep better include: one-minute breathing sessions, observing your surroundings, scanning your body, mindful sessions of listening, journaling before sleep, and visual overriding.
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