Can meditation improve your sleep?

If you aren’t familiar with meditation, it can seem like a foreign concept. Maybe the art of meditation seems out of reach for you and best left in the hands of seasoned yogis, or at least people with more patience or time on their hands than you. However, meditation is something that can benefit everyone, no matter what your lifestyle is. In particular, if you’ve been struggling to fall asleep, meditation might be able to help.

Benefits of Meditation

• Decreases stress and anxiety
• Boosts melatonin to help you fall asleep faster
• Reduces insomnia

What is meditation?

There are a few different types of meditation, each with different benefits. Mindfulness meditation means paying attention to your body and how it feels without letting your thoughts wander, while concentration meditation means focusing on one specific idea and nothing else. Some people enjoy guided meditation, where your thoughts are led by someone else.

Regardless of what type you choose to practice, the main goal of meditation is to relieve stress and put your mind at peace by focusing on the moment. This means putting aside minute stressors and long-term worries. Many people who practice meditation for health believe it results in less stress, greater calm, and relaxed muscles.

What effect does meditation have on sleep?

Studies suggest that meditating before bed can reduce insomnia and fatigue, as well as depression. The practice of clearing your mind greatly reduces stress, and helps banish the worries and invading thoughts that often plague people as they’re trying to fall asleep. As you can imagine, reducing stress right before bed can help lead to a good, stress-free night’s sleep.

As it reduces stress, meditation can simultaneously boost melatonin, the brain’s natural sleep-promoting chemical. The more melatonin produced before bed, the more restful your sleep!

Should I meditate?

Choosing to meditate doesn’t have to mean an immediate lifestyle change; fitting meditation into your schedule can be easier than you expect. Experiment with meditation right before going to bed, just for a few minutes per day. If you find that it helps you sleep, or just relax, try meditating for a little longer every day.

If you’re not sure how to start meditating, grab your Luxe pillow and concentrate on something steady and calming, like your breath. Try to focus only on that, and redirect your thoughts if you find them wandering. Don’t worry about whether you’re doing it right or wrong--the point is to relax! As you practice meditation, you’ll be able to determine for yourself whether you enjoy the practice and whether it’s helping you get a full night’s sleep.

For extra help feeling relaxed each night, consider investing in a Luxe Pillow.