This Awesome Technique Can Improve Your Sleep Quality
Guided sleep meditation is a way to allow
you to relax your body and to let go of worried thoughts before you
drift off to sleep. Like other types of meditation, this kind involves
shifting your focus from your mind to your bodily sensations. Practicing
this type of meditation on a regular basis has been found to improve
sleep quality. Keep reading to learn all about it.
According to the American Sleep
Association, around 30% of adults have short-term problems with
insomnia, while approximately 10% suffer from chronic insomnia.
Furthermore, around 33% of adults claim that they get less than 7 hours
of a sleep each night.
Better sleep quality can contribute to stress reduction as well as the
development of a stronger immune system. However, getting restful sleep
can be tricky if you are a victim of anxiety and stress. Many sleep
issues start with your thought processes at night, and this is precisely
where guided sleep meditation can be of use.
Basically, guided sleep meditation is simply meditating before going to
sleep, typically while already in bed. While you can actually practice
sleep meditation by yourself, guided practice usually consists of you
listening to an audio recording that will improve your ability to fall
asleep and stay asleep all night long.
The Benefits of Guided Sleep Meditation
Meditation helps you to be in the present moment and to move outside
your head. When you lie down at night, previously suppressed thoughts
suddenly start racing around in your mind. Without any external
distractions, it can be difficult to control your thoughts which could
end up leading to anxiety or depression.
Through guided sleep meditation, you end up ridding yourself of such
thoughts, thereby activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which
in turn allows you to reduce your heart rate and slow down your
breathing rate. This can be so effective that you may find yourself
drifting off to sleep in the middle of the meditation practice.
After practicing sleep meditation for a number of weeks, you should
begin to notice daytime benefits of the practice too. This is because
getting enough sleep at night is related to how you feel during the day.
How to Practice Guided Sleep Meditation
To practice guided sleep meditation, you will first need to get your
hands on an audio recording, such as the ones provided by UCLA. Many
others are also available on Youtube or other websites.
Typical guided sleep meditations will redirect your focus away from your
thoughts and towards your physical body. During such meditations, you
will mentally scan the various regions of your body from top to bottom,
becoming more aware of the different sensations such as tension,
heaviness, tingling, temperature, and tightness. As you do this, you
will be told to gently relax and release tension by breathing into that
part of your body.
You will also be instructed to allow your
troubled thoughts to move beyond you as if they are leaves floating down
a river or clouds floating in the sky. As you do this, your body will
begin to relax and soften and you will begin to breathe more deeply.
Guided sleep meditation may also incorporate other practices, such as
breathing exercises, visualizing peaceful scenes, or even focusing on
being grateful and showing loving kindness to yourself.