To sleep well is to live well but finding the time to snooze for a full eight hours can be almost impossible. Between work, school, children, family, pets, and other responsibilities, it’s difficult to find time for your most important priority: yourself! The truth of the matter is, if you don’t take of your needs first, you can’t help take care of the needs of others well.
The first way to really treat yourself right is by ensuring that your sleep hygiene is impeccable even though getting to that peaceful place of rest and relaxation is easier said than done. And instead of reaching for sleeping pills to assist you, try a more natural outlet like meditating first. With the power of meditation on your side, getting in the right headspace for sleeping is only an “OM” away.
How Does Meditation Help with Sleep?
Meditation is a generally easy practice where you work on focusing your mind to ultimately achieve a mentally and emotionally calm state which gives you inner peace. Basically, with the power of meditation you should find yourself less in your head worrying and holding on to stress, and training yourself to be in the present moment. Just like with yoga, simple breathwork can center your mind and body by lowering your heart rate and
shutting down the release of stress chemicals
that cause the
muscles to tense up. This sort of deep relaxation gives your brain permission to slow down and ultimately giving you a better quality of sleep.
Start a Meditation Before Bed Routine
Now that you know a little about the incredible combination of meditation and sleep, why not try it out to see if it works for you? Follow these simple steps to help your body relax naturally so that those sleepless nights can finally come to an end.
- Before getting into bed, turn your phone off and any other distracting electronics that may be in your bedroom.
- Sit or lay down in your bed, close your eyes, and start taking deep, slow breathes at a pace that works for you.
- Try to keep your mind empty but don’t be discouraged if your thoughts keep wandering. Just do your best to refocus on your breathing.
If you’re wondering how long you have to go during the meditation, the answer is truly up to you. You can continue for however long you need but even doing as little as three to five minutes can make a world of difference to your sleep. We suggest starting out small and increasing your time depending on how hard it is to concentrate.
Meditation and sleep can be a life-changing duo if you are struggling to get the rest you need every night. But in some cases, your uncomfortable mattress could be the real culprit. If your mattress is old and keeping you away from dreamland, it’s time for a new bed. Contact our store to speak with a mattress expert and help make your sleep woes a worry of the past.