Guided sleep meditation is a technique that might help you calm your body and mind before going to bed. This technique, like other forms of meditation, requires shifting your focus from your thoughts to sensations in your body. Simply put, guided sleep meditation entails meditating before going to sleep, usually while lying in bed. While it is possible to practice sleep meditation on your own, guided practice usually entails listening to an audio recording that guides you through the steps of the guided sleep meditation.
The purpose of guided sleep meditation is to lessen the impact of worrying thoughts and physical strain on your sleep. You will notice changes in your ability to fall and remain asleep after learning to shift your mind and relax your body. Regular guided sleep meditation practice has been demonstrated to promote sleep, implying that this method is a valuable tool to lessen difficulty falling and staying asleep.
The Advantages of Sleep Meditation
Meditation allows you to be present in the moment. For example, when you rest your head on your pillow at night, you’re likely to start thinking about the thoughts you suppressed during the day. Without external distractions, it might be challenging to regulate rogue thoughts that can lead to worry and melancholy.
Guided sleep meditation enables you to let go of racing thoughts and relax your mind. Consequently, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which helps to lower your heart rate and slow your breathing rate. All of these changes prepare you for sleep; you may even fall asleep in the middle of your meditation session. However, understanding that guided sleep meditation does not involve forcing yourself to sleep is critical. Instead, sleep should be a byproduct of exercise, which is intended to relax your body and slow your thoughts.
More Advantages
Because obtaining adequate sleep at night is tied to how you feel throughout the day, you should notice daytime advantages with guided sleep practice. The greatest guided sleep meditations will have you listening to an audio guide through headphones or a small speaker alongside your bed. The goal is not to have to focus too hard about what you’re doing—rather, you let the voice on the recording guide you.
You should find it easier to enter the meditation and follow the suggestions as time goes on. Don’t give up too early if you can’t quiet down or relax when conducting the meditation at first.
How to Do Guided Sleep Meditation
During a normal guided sleep meditation, you will be directed away from your concerned thoughts and toward your body via a “body scan.” This approach is shifting your focus away from your thoughts and toward recognizing the feelings in your body without attempting to modify them.
Throughout the meditation, you will walk through your body, from your head to your toes, experiencing sensations such as heaviness, tension, tingling, temperature, and stiffness. You will be instructed to gradually relax and remove stress by breathing into each body part as you travel through it. You will also be advised to allow your anxious thoughts (or any thoughts) to pass through you as if they were clouds in the sky or leaves floating down a river. Your body will begin to soften and relax as you do this and breathe more deeply.
Aside from the body scan, guided sleep meditation may include the following:
- Breathing exercise: You may be instructed to count as you breathe in and out, allowing your body to settle down and signaling that it is time to sleep.
- Visualization: You would visualize a tranquil scenario, which would assist you in reaching a trance-like condition similar to what is created during the hypnosis procedure.
- Gratitude: A gratitude meditation would have you practice being grateful and showing loving compassion to oneself.
Suggestions for Improving Sleep Hygiene
In addition to guided sleep meditation, try the following basic sleep hygiene practices: • Limit your use of blue-light gadgets, such as cell phones and computers, in the last hour before bed.
- Be in bed at the same time every night and push yourself to rise at the same time every morning.
- Purchase a unique light that resembles sunshine to assist you in waking up at a specific time.
- If you need to sleep at unusual hours, use dark blinds to make your room gloomy.
- Keep your room at a cooler temperature for better sleep.
- Keep white noise to a minimum in your bedroom.
- Consume six to eight glasses of water before the end of the day.
- Get regular exercise, such as walking or yoga.
- Dress comfortably in breathable cotton pajamas.
- Keep a gratitude notebook before going to bed.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
Better sleep can help to relieve stress and boost the immune system. However, attaining restorative sleep might be difficult if you are dealing with worry and anxiety—it can simply be difficult to calm your mind. Many sleep problems originate with your nighttime thought processes. This is where guided sleep meditation can come in handy. In addition to practicing meditation, ensure your sleep hygiene to get a good night’s sleep. If you still experience nighttime anxiety, standard treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or medication may be beneficial.
