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How does meditation help you sleep?
To answer that question, it helps to first understand how anxiety affects the body. “When you’re under stress, your body releases hormones—including adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine—that prime your body for ‘fight or flight,’” Dr. Breus says. “These hormones rev your blood pressure and heart rate, making it tough to fall or stay asleep.” This can set off an unwelcome cycle: Fatigue the following day can exacerbate stress, messing with sleep again at bedtime.
In terms of insomnia, meditation may help by dialing down the body’s responses to stress. If you’re new to the idea of meditation, you might be more familiar with the concept of mindfulness: a nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the present moment. You can practice mindfulness in pretty much any situation—whether you’re enjoying a meal or driving through rush-hour traffic.
Meditation exists in the same realm but is generally a more intentional act—a mind-body practice you do in a quiet setting during the time you’ve set aside for that purpose, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Regularity is part of meditation, too: Over time, you learn to continuously bring your attention back to the present to help develop a greater sense of focused calm and awareness.
Research has found that meditation may lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability (a physiological indicator of stress). Meditation was also correlated with increased production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin in a study published in Biological Psychology.
Sleep meditation tips
Interested in giving sleep meditation a try? These pointers can help you get started.
- Build it into your bedtime routine: Granted, meditating at any point during the day can help set the stage for a more restful night’s sleep, but doing so near bedtime can give your brain a more direct memo to start winding down. Try it half an hour before bed to give your body a signal that sleep is on the horizon.
- Choose a quiet space: Some people prefer to meditate in bed, while others retreat to a comfy nook in the living room or even a favorite chair in the backyard. The goal simply is to choose a location where you won’t be interrupted or distracted.
- Start with short sessions: It can take time to get used to meditation; for this reason, begin with just a few minutes per day, gradually working your way up to 20 minutes or so (the duration several studies have found is helpful). Setting a timer on your phone can help you stay focused on the practice instead of wondering how much time has elapsed since your session started.
- Give it time to work: Don’t be surprised if stress doesn’t melt away like magic with just a few soulful breaths. Meditation is like taking your brain to the gym and training it. In other words, you might need a few weeks to get into the groove before you start to notice impacts on your mood and sleep. 💤
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