Relaxation Meditation for Sleep
Let’s say you find yourself about to drift off when suddenly you hear a sound and now you’re wide awake. Or perhaps you’re exhausted, ready to hit the hay and ruminating thoughts just will not stop entering and exiting your mind, leading to a fitful sleep. If this sounds familiar, your sleeping patterns are most likely sporadic and unpredictable as well. Such a cycle creates havoc during the day and has long-term consequences for your health and productivity.
Finding the right relaxation meditation technique to combat restless sleep is not an easy task. So if you need a little help adding in a bedtime routine to help calm your mind before sleep, Brightmind has a curriculum designed by experts to help you begin and to customize your practice. Bedtime meditation has helped countless insomniacs and light sleepers learn to reduce daily stress and let go of bothersome thoughts before settling in for the night. Here are just some of the ways you can make relaxation meditation work for you.
1. Find the Right Bedtime Meditation Technique for You
For some people, listening to whatever sounds are happening in their environment before bedtime is a great way to promote better sleep. But for others, this technique only adds to the agitation. Did you know there are a variety of forms of meditation you could use to help enhance your quality of sleep? Here are a few:
Repeating positive affirmations to help validate your goals and positive feelings.
Physical relaxation meditation including clenching and releasing certain areas of the body to help release pent up energy and tension.
Visualization exercises help you let go of the day’s events and ease your body into a sense of physical and emotional calm.
Finding the right meditation practice is like finding a sport or hobby that works for you. Brightmind’s app helps you try several different relaxation meditation techniques to see which one is the best fit. In just the introductory curriculum alone, Brightmind will expose you to ten different ways to achieve better focus. Whichever bedtime meditation technique you choose should be a good match for your life and work for you. Remember, what works for another person may not always work for you, so make sure to personalize your practice to your life.
2. Practice Daily
After you’ve found a style of relaxation meditation that works for you, it’s time to implement a daily practice using your technique of choice. To increase your chances of success, try making sure that you practice at the same time every day, and schedule your meditation into your calendar the same way you would an important meeting or appointment. Here are some other tips to help you get started with your bedtime meditation:
Do your whole nighttime routine and add in your meditation practice before bedtime so that it simply becomes the natural “next step” in your routine.
Experiment with different positions and locations. Some people prefer to sit up in a comfortable chair or on a mat when they meditate. Others lay down in bed and allow themselves to slowly drift off after meditation.
Find an app that customizes your daily meditation routine, helps track your progress, and sets gentle reminders for when it is time to practice.
Keep in mind that making your practice part of your daily routine takes time. Patterns and rituals become engraved in your brain and trigger your body to feel a certain way. After several weeks of dedicated practice, your relaxation meditation will become second nature if you include it in your schedule consistently.
3. Get Coaching
Believe it or not, there are different levels of meditation for sleep. Many practitioners are at the beginner stage, but as you move through each level, you can expect your quality of sleep to go through phases and shift. This is where some coaching for both general and relaxation meditation practice can help you become aware of each stage of meditation.
For example, entering deeper stages of meditation can feel like a gradual loss of awareness. At the advanced level, it’s common for meditation to actually make it harder to sleep due to training your body to be alert and attentive. A good meditation teacher can help you learn the signs of advanced states and adjust your practice when needed. Additionally, a properly structured meditation program can help you get used to the experience of losing consciousness in order to help you release and relax.
There are many meditation apps available for purchase, but Brightmind offers an algorithm-based guided practice to really help you achieve your sleep and relaxation meditation goals. You can trust our meditation experts to guide you through your best bedtime meditation practice with a systematic approach based on research.
4. Start Right Now
In the end, the best way to enhance your bedtime meditation is to start your practice right now. Download Brightmind’s app for a customizable curriculum led by expert instructors, and gain access to the following features to help your practice grow:
Browse a selection of more than 200 meditations led by world-class teachers.
Try our Micro-Hit meditations to help you practice when you’re on the go.
Choose from a variety of different techniques to help you tailor your individual practice.
Our coaches customize your routine at the pace that works best for you. Led by meditation expert Shinzen Young, our curriculum engages you at your level and helps track your progress using the strategy that is most effective for your journey.
Try Brightmind Today
Now you can regulate your sleep cycle with a more structured bedtime meditation. When used daily, your patterns will regulate, and you will find yourself more rested and prepared to have a productive day. Ready to start your personal daily meditation practice? Discover the ways many successful people have strengthened their personal relationships, work ethics, attitudes, and physical well-being through a meditation practice. For even more guidance, download Brightmind’s meditation and mindfulness app today to help you begin your relaxation meditation practice for sleep.