If you’ve ever thought about using meditation for sleep, you might be on to something. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden and brief onset of insomnia or you’re a part of the 10 percent of adults with insomnia lasting more than three months, there is nothing more frustrating than being exhausted but unable to fall asleep. And although there are certain medical conditions that can cause insomnia, one of the most common explanations for sleep problems is anxiety. “People are often unclear that anxiety is impacting their sleep because they’ve struggled with sleep-related anxiety issues for so long,” explains Nedra Tawwab, LCSW, therapist and founder of Kaleidoscope Counseling. “When you find your mind racing before bed, anxiety is the cause.” Five mental health experts told us how meditation for sleep can be a game-changer.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness comes in many forms, and it doesn’t always mean you need to practice meditation, explains Alison Seponara, MS, LPC, of The Anxiety Healer. Instead, meditation is just one of many techniques that can be used. “Mindfulness is really about being aware of our own thoughts and feelings in any present moment,” she explains. “This can include breathing strategies, grounding techniques, yoga, and even meditation.” The goal is to find an exercise that works well for you and that can be practiced day after day. In her work with clients, Amanda E. White, MA, LPC, the woman behind Therapy for Women, teaches mindfulness skills with exercises like mindfully drinking water or noticing how their body feels. The hope is that, with enough practice, her clients can repeat these exercises at home. “Other times, I will do deep breathing in session or a short mindfulness meditation with their body to ground them if we have had a particularly intense or emotional session.”
How Mindfulness Helps Insomnia
According to White, mindfulness is one of the most effective ways to manage sleep disturbances. When practiced over a long period of time, she says, mindfulness and meditation can change the chemistry of the brain. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will take a long time to notice the positive effects since the practice actually has a short term effect on brain waves. “When people are experiencing insomnia and getting frustrated and upset about not being able to sleep they often end up in a state of hyperactivity,” she explains. “Mindfulness can help us transition to slow down our brain waves which makes falling asleep easier.” Additionally, if it is anxiety and worry that is keeping you up at night, mindfulness can be used to address that preoccupation, according to Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D., CSAT-S, psychologist and co-founder of the Triune Therapy Group. “Mindfulness allows us to be more accepting of our present circumstances,” she says. “Which allows our body to become fatigued because it’s not being sympathetically activated or worried.”
How to meditate to sleep
Although it can be intimidating for beginners, Tawwab says, getting started with a mindfulness practice can be as simple as practicing deep breathing for one minute. Then, once you’ve mastered a minute, more time can be added in 30-second increments. Mindfulness can also be incorporated into everyday tasks, says White, who encourages exercises like taking five minutes of silence in the car before turning on music or a podcast. “When cooking, take an extra moment to smell the ingredients,” she suggests. “When eating, take a moment before turning on the tv to really savor the first few bites of food.”
An Easy Exercise
Brittany Escuriex, PhD, of Mindfully_Empowered Therapy uses mindfulness in her practice as well as in her own life. She offers helpful instructions for a simple breathing exercise that anyone can adopt as a tool on sleepless nights. “I have individuals first focus on the place in their body where they are most aware of the sensation of their breath,” she says. “This could be coolness at the tip of the nose, warmth in the back of the throat, rising and falling of the chest, expansion and contraction of the belly.” From there, she says individuals can keep their focus there or can begin to experiment with a different kind of breathing, slowing the breath down or breathing more deeply. If you notice your mind is wandering, it’s no big deal, just observe this non-judgmentally and bring your attention back to your breath. “This can be useful for disconnecting from those racing and ruminating thoughts and using the breath to focus awareness and hopefully create the opportunity for sleep.”
Tech Support
Balestrieri suggests using an app that provides guided meditations or pre-recording a script to listening to during mindfulness. There is no one right way to practice mindfulness, but she reiterates the goal is to slow down and calm the brain for sleep. “Another thing that I recommend is doing something mindfully with your body,” says White. “This could be taking a shower (where you notice the water on your skin, or the feel of your loofah) or light stretching. The most effective mindfulness skills involve using your senses, and feeling sensation in your body is one of the most powerful.” Although a before bed mindfulness practice is a great approach to anxiety that keeps you awake, don’t restrict your mindfulness practice to bedtime. “The more you practice mindfulness throughout the day, the more likely your brain is going to train itself to calm down,” Balestrieri says. Here’s how using sleep stories at night can also help you sleep better.
Sources
Nedra Tawwab, LCSW, therapist and founder of Kaleidoscope CounselingBrittany Escuriex, PhD, of Mindfully_Empowered Therapy
