Meditate for Better Sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, you’re not alone. Between 35 and 50 percent of adults worldwide regularly experience insomnia.
For many, sleep disturbance is linked to stress. That’s because stress can cause anxiety and tension, making it difficult to fall asleep. In some cases, stress can make existing sleep problems worse.
Meditation has been used for thousands of years to calm the mind and body while enhancing inner peace.If practiced before bedtime, meditation can help reduce insomnia and sleep disturbances by promotinginner peace.

When you meditate, several physiological changes occur. These changes trigger sleep by influencing the processes in your body.

Researchers have been interested in how meditation affects sleep problems for some time. In a 2015 study, for example, researchers analyzed how mindfulness meditation affected 49 adults who had moderate sleep problems. Participants were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of meditation or sleep hygiene education. At the end of the study, the meditation group experienced fewer insomnia symptoms and less daytime fatigue.

Researchers say meditation is likely to help in more ways than one. Sleep problems often stem from stress and worry, but meditation improves the ability to relax. It also improves control of the autonomic nervous system, which reduces how easily you wake up.

A mediWith meditation you may:

•  increase the amount of melatonin (the sleep hormone).
•  increase serotonin (a precursor of melatonin)
•  reduce the heart rate
•  lower blood pressure
•  activate the parts of the brain that regulate sleep

As with meditation, your body experiences similar changes in the early stages of sleep. As a result, meditation can promote sleep by triggering these changes.

How to meditate

Meditation is a simple practice that you can do anywhere, anytime. You don’t need any special tools or equipment. In fact, the only thing you need is a few minutes.

But establishing a meditation routine takes practice. If you make time for meditation, you are more likely to reap its benefits.

The basic steps of meditation:

Find a quiet place. Sit or lie down, depending on what feels most comfortable to you. Lying down at bedtime is preferable.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly. Inhale and exhale deeply.

Concentrate on your breathing.

 If a thought comes up, let it go and refocus on the breath

Be patient with yourself. Start by meditating for 3-5 minutes before bed. Over time, slowly increase the time to 15-20 minutes. It takes time to learn how to quiet your mind.

There are days when we don’t have time to meditate or do relaxation exercises. At the end of a busy day, our SLEEP PRO product can help you relax and get a restful night’s sleep.