Your guide to sleep meditation

Meditate your way to better sleep

In our fast-paced lives, stress and anxiety can be constant companions. Not only do they affect our wellbeing, they can also negatively impact our sleep – leaving us tossing, turning and staring at the ceiling for hours. 

Fortunately, there's a tool you can use to calm your body and mind before bedtime: meditation. Here, we’ll explore what meditation is, why it works, and how to meditate for a better night’s sleep.

Stress and sleep

If you’ve ever lain awake at night worrying, you know that stress, anxiety and the pressures of daily life can make it difficult to clock up the hours of sleep you need.

According to Beyond Blue, around three million Australians are currently living with anxiety, and one in four will experience it at some stage in their life. 

Stress triggers your fight-or-flight response and causes cortisol levels to spike. Not only can this make you feel hyper-alert and make it tricky to doze off, it can also reduce the amount of time you spend in deep sleep and disrupt rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. 

What is meditation?

Meditation is a relaxation exercise that involves focusing your attention on one specific thing, such as:

• Your breathing

• Sounds (e.g., music)

• Bodily sensations 

• A mantra or chant

Meditation can be visual, guided or movement-based, and new methods are constantly emerging. For example, non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) – a term coined by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman to describe the ancient eastern practice of yoga nidra and other guided relaxation techniques – is one method that has recently grown in popularity. 

The goal of meditation is to train your mind to stay calm and focused and achieve a sense of mental and physical peace.

Meditation vs mindfulness

While the two are linked, mindfulness is an umbrella term that describes a general state of mind (rather than a specific exercise). It’s about focusing on the present moment, paying close attention to your thoughts, feelings, sensations and surroundings without being distracted. 

You can be mindful as you go about your day (yep, even while you’re washing the dishes, soothing a toddler or eating a meal) or integrate it into your meditation (known as mindful meditation).

Meditation for sleep and anxiety

When practiced regularly, meditation and mindfulness can be an antidote to stress, helping you let go of any worries or tension you might have.  

In one recent Australian study, emergency department staff who used a mindfulness app said it improved their mental wellbeing and helped them manage their stress better. Other research has shown that meditative practices like breathwork can be helpful in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

There is also evidence to suggest that meditation and mindfulness-based therapies improve sleep. For example, one study found that, after completing a six-week mindfulness program and 15-30 minutes of daily meditation, people with insomnia reported feeling more relaxed and sleeping better. They also showed significant improvements in the severity of their insomnia symptoms. 

How to meditate in bed

If stress gets in the way of your sleep, or you’re simply looking for ways to doze off quicker, here are some meditation techniques you might like to try before going to bed.

1. Breathwork 

Controlled breathing helps when you’re feeling anxious. It signals to the brain to deactivate the fight-or-flight response and calm your body down. 

Start by focusing on the sensation of your breath as it flows in and out of your body, allowing tension to melt away with each breath. 

A popular breathing method is the 4-7-8 method. Based on the ancient yogic practice pranayama, it involves breathing in for four counts, holding your breath for seven, then breathing out for eight counts.

2. Body scan

This technique involves mentally scanning your body from head to toe, and looking for any areas of tension, pain or discomfort. Gently let go of any tension you find, inviting a sense of openness and relaxation throughout your body.

3. Sleep music

Incorporate calming sleep music or guided meditation recordings into your bedtime routine. Choose meditation music that relaxes and resonates with you – it’ll help create a tranquil environment that’s more conducive to rest.

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