Are you having trouble sleeping lately? If so, meditation before bed may be the solution you're looking for. Sleep disorders affect over 70 million people in America alone, with insomnia being a major culprit. The heavy use of electronic devices and radical lifestyle changes are also factors affecting our sleep patterns, leaving many of us feeling like daytime zombies. However, sleep meditation can help us fall asleep and stay asleep.
There are different deep sleep meditation techniques you can try, such as mindfulness meditation, affirmation meditation, and guided meditation for sleep. Mindfulness meditation is a popular technique that involves paying close attention to your experience and environment. You can focus on your breath or other meditation objects, such as sensations or sounds. By practicing mindfulness meditation, you become more aware of what's going on inside of you and learn to deal effectively with agitation and distractions.
Affirmation meditation is similar to mindfulness meditation but requires one-pointed attention on positive affirmations or mantras. By repeating positive affirmations as you fall asleep, you can replace distractions with uplifting thoughts that can have an uplifting residual effect.
Guided meditation for sleep involves listening to the voice of a meditation teacher who guides you through the meditation session. They may ask you to relax your body parts, imagine a series of relaxing images, or breathe deeply. This type of meditation is helpful for those who prefer to listen to a soothing voice as they fall asleep.
Apart from helping with sleep disorders and anxiety, meditation has many other benefits, including letting go of negative emotions and thought patterns, dealing with trauma or grief, and cultivating compassion and kindness towards others.
So tonight, leave behind anything that causes agitation and distraction and try meditation instead. Sweet dreams!