When was the last time you got that ‘good night’s sleep?’ We are talking about the perfect 8-hour one, with no tossing and turning and waking up as fresh as a daisy. If you just cannot recollect, chances are you need to learn about the practice of sleep meditation and its many, many benefits! 

Sleeping disorders and a general lack of sleep, bordering on insomnia is rampant amongst young and older adults alike, globally. Regulated sleep hygiene is essential to lead a wholesome, healthy, and balanced lifestyle. Research shows that a lot of serious conditions like diabetes, heart trouble, depression, anxiety, obesity, etc. have been linked to sleeping disorders and a lack of good sleep hygiene. 

Anecdotally, sleep meditation has been known to serve the purpose of reaching successful levels of sleep hygiene. So what exactly does sleep meditation entail? Studies show that around 35-40 percent of the adult global population goes through a bout of insomnia and related sleeping disorders at least once in their lifetimes. 

According to Healthline, on meditation, ‘as a relaxation technique, it can quiet the mind and body while enhancing inner peace. When done before bedtime, meditation may help reduce insomnia and sleep troubles by promoting overall calmness’ 

Insider suggests that ‘if you’re having difficulty calming your mind when you try to sleep, meditation can be a useful strategy to wind down and relax for a more restful sleep’

The need for sleep meditation

Facts and figures show that around 70 million people in America alone suffer from borderline insomnia and other underlying sleeping disorders that ultimately lead to serious complications on physical and mental health. With the increase in the usage of electronic devices from waking to sleeping time, including consumption of social media can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety and a general lack of focus to determine a regulated, arcadian sleep cycle. 

Lack of a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is linked to fatal disorders of the heart, liver, stomach as well as diabetes. Meditation in itself, if practiced on a daily basis can counter, reduce stress levels, stages of insomnia and can also alleviate depression if not severe. 

According to Insider, ‘a 2015 study found that meditation was a helpful technique for treating insomnia. One group of participants was educated in basic sleep hygiene practices, while the other group practiced meditation as part of a mindfulness program. 

During the six week period, the mindfulness participants were asked to meditate for at least five minutes daily. The study found that the meditating participants, who also joined a two-hour mindfulness education support group once a week, had improved quality of sleep, lower levels of fatigue, and an improved mood after the study’

A good sleep hygiene is seldom devoid of sleep meditation. Sleep meditation can also help you induce lucid dreaming on a regular basis that can in turn help overcome phobias and improve overall mental health. 

The key(s) to practicing sleep meditation 

Just like any other form of exercise and mindfulness training techniques, sleep meditation needs to be practiced. There are various ways in which sleep meditation can be achieved to sleep soundly and wake up naturally. Before beginning, one needs to know that sleep meditation is not at all about forcing yourself to go to sleep. It is vital to realize that calming the body and mind enough to get a good night’s sleep is the main focus of this form of meditation. 

• The most promising sleep meditation technique is the body scan technique. Very Well Mind explains the body scan process in a succinct manner – ‘this process involves directing your attention away from the thoughts to noticing the sensations in your body, without trying to change them’ As you proceed further into the technique, you shall notice different sensations like tingling, heaviness, and tightness. Furthermore, you need to direct your mind to breathe in and out ‘onto that affected part’ and slowly let all the worrying, anxious thoughts wash over you slowly like a river. As that very feeling progresses, your body and mind shall feel more relaxed, and then it shall be possible to fall asleep gently. 
• Gratitude meditation is also one of the most popular forms of sleep meditation techniques. It goes hand in hand with mindful meditation and can be a refreshing change to your daily routine, which often gets saturated with stress and anxiety. Start with deep breathing and then concentrate on 3 parts of your day that made you feel accomplished or even put a smile on your face. Doing this fills you up with compassion right before sleeping and can definitely encourage a night of sound sleep. 
• Sleep tracking devices like the iBand+ are a great way to achieve regulated sleep hygiene. The iBand+ helps achieve sleep meditation and sees it as a form of training your mind and not just focusing on the sleeping part. Here is brief know-how of how the iBand+ achieves exactly that : 

1. 1. ‘5 to 10 minutes of iBand+ sleep meditation technique before going to sleep will help you relax thus reducing stress and increasing your sense of calmness and well-being.
   2. iBand+ sleep meditation feature with brainwave entrainment audio-visual technique is also an excellent way of preparing yourself for the beautiful world of lucid dreaming!
   3. With sleep meditation define the dream cues, set the dream intention, and increase self-awareness in your dreams – crucial preparation tactics to become and stay lucid in your dreams.
   4. Practicing meditation regularly helps gain perspective and an ability to focus which positively affects your brain, heart and immune system leading to an improved physical and mental health’