Sleep Anxiety Is the Worst. Here’s How to Deal

From yahoo.com

There are few things more frustrating than sleep anxiety. It’s 10 p.m. You’re enjoying your evening skin care routine. You’re brewing a cup of chamomile tea. You’re slipping into something silky. And then all of a sudden, there it is: that creeping fear that you will not in fact be able to drift off to dreamland, that anxiety will keep you up for hours, doomscrolling in a fit of revenge bedtime procrastination. The more you think about this bedtime possibility, the more anxious you get. The vicious sleep anxiety cycle has begun. 

Sleep anxiety is not an official sleep disorder, per se. “In the sleep universe, we don’t really diagnose somebody with sleep anxiety—we diagnose them with insomnia or insomnia secondary to a particular anxiety disorder, like generalized anxiety or OCD,” says clinical psychologist Michael Breus, PhD, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “There’s no real formal criteria or definition, so doctors have a tendency not to use it as a diagnosis.” 

That said, “every sleep doctor in the universe” knows the role anxiety can play in sleep issues, Dr. Breus confirms. “Most of the people who don’t sleep, 75% of it is due to anxiety. The other 25% is a mixture of environmental factors, medications, some type of medical condition, or in some cases, some form of depression.” 

But just because sleep anxiety isn’t a formally defined condition, doesn’t mean anxiety at night isn’t impacting your health. “Mood, anxiety, and depression have a bi-directional relationship to sleep,” says Rebecca Robbins, PhD, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and sleep expert to smart-ring maker Oura. Stress and anxiety, in other words, disrupt our sleep. And when we’re sleep deprived, we’re more likely to experience “negative mood states” like anxiety and depression, Dr. Robbins explains. 

So how can you prevent sleep anxiety and deal with it when it happens? We asked the top sleep experts to break it down. 

What is sleep anxiety?

“Sleep anxiety is stress or worry relating to your ability to fall asleep or maintain sleep,” says Dr. Robbins. It can be triggered by stress about an early alarm you’re afraid you’ll sleep through, the memory of a terrible night’s sleep earlier in the week, or maybe nothing at all. “The anxiety can manifest itself in physical, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms. You may have a fast heart or rapid breathing, as if you’re undergoing a panic attack, or you may try to avoid bed, so that you can diminish the anxiety of not being able to fall or stay sleep,” says neurologist Pedram Navab, DO, who specializes in sleep medicine and is the author of Sleep Reimagined: The Fast Track to a Revitalized Life.

You may not get a formal diagnosis for sleep anxiety, but “those who suffer from it likely know they have it,” says Sanem Hafeez, PhD, a neuropsychologist and professor at Columbia University.  (Sleep disorders are diagnosed via an overnight stay in a sleep lab, where clinicians can measure your breathing, heart rate, and sleep stages. “From a mental standpoint, a psychologist will do an intake to find out what occurs before you go to sleep, the thoughts you have, and what happens if you wake during the night, in addition to pre-sleep habits,” explains Dr. Hafeez.) 

Sleep anxiety is not the same as a true fear of sleep. “Somniphobia is when people think something terrible will occur while they sleep or that they must remain awake to be watchful and alert,” Dr. Hafeez says. 

Who is most likely to have sleep anxiety?

Since sleep deprivation and anxiety fuel one another, you’re more likely to have sleep anxiety if you have generalised anxiety. “Lack of sleep affects the frontal lobe of the brain, which is involved in executive functioning, decision making, and problem solving,” says Dr. Navab. “When that area does not work at its most optimal, one’s thought processes become irrational and allows one’s generalized anxiety to become unjustifiably full-blown and work its way into your burgeoning sleep anxiety.” 

Why you need to deal with it

Maybe your disrupted dreams are simply due to one of the many common mistakes that can impact your sleep. But if you’re constantly having trouble falling asleep or can’t stay asleep, it’s something you should address. “Those experiencing symptoms relating to sleep anxiety are more likely to develop a sleep disorder, such as insomnia,” says Dr. Robbins. And insomnia effects can be serious; in addition to depression and anxiety, chronic lack of sleep can increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. 

How to treat sleep anxiety

No one likes dealing with anxiety at night (or waking up with anxiety, for that matter). Here’s what to do about it.

1. Consider therapy. 

When good old-fashioned sleep apps can’t do the trick, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is “remarkably effective” at treating sleep anxiety, says Dr. Robbins. “Much of CBT for insomnia (CBTI) focuses on rewiring how a patient thinks about sleep and cultivating their sense of self-efficacy,” she says. In a CBT session, a licensed mental health professional will help you reframe negative thoughts into more constructive beliefs. In CBTI, “patients will learn how to avoid environmental factors that trigger anxiety prior to bed, alter negative thoughts about sleep, and perhaps learn biofeedback to learn to regulate breathing, relax muscles, lower heart rate, and focus attention,” says Dr. Hafeez.  

2. Give yourself a pep talk.

Depending on how severe your sleep anxiety is, you might be able to do a version of this yourself whenever you feel the anxiety chills approaching. “Recognize how you are talking to yourself about sleep,” says Dr. Robbins. Are you telling yourself you’ll never be able to figure out how to calm anxiety at night? “If so, try to reverse that, and as bedtime approaches, tell yourself, ‘Hey, I got this!’ when it comes to your ability to fall asleep and get good, restorative sleep,” Dr. Robbins says. 

3. Put your phone in another room.

Yes. Really. For real this time. “Keeping all electronics out of the room is a great way to not only reduce stimulation from digital media but also the light that emits from that electronic equipment, which can decrease melatonin levels and lead to a fitful sleep,” says Dr. Navab. 

Be honest with yourself: Was the 45 minutes you spent on TikTok or trolling for the perfect holiday gift really worth it? “Looking at your phone tethers you to the reality of today, which is not all that helpful,” says Dr. Navab. “Instead, keep a novel at hand to transport you to another place that allows you think of someone else’s dilemma and not your anxious sleep.” 

4. Create a bedtime routine.

If you can’t talk yourself into a calmer mindset before bed, the right bedtime routine might get you there. “It is not possible to go from our energetic, productivity-focused days to sleep in the blink of an eye,” says Dr. Robbins. “Sleep takes time.” She recommends setting aside at least 30 minutes to wind down.  

“My favorite way to unwind is to take a shower, do my skin care routine, meditate for 10 minutes, then read a book until I’m ready to sleep,” says Kelly Smith, yoga and meditation teacher and host of the Mindful in Minutes podcast. 

5. Meditate.

Meditation is admittedly not for everyone. If you’re into it, or at least into the idea of trying to be into it, sleep meditations are remarkably effective. “With a regular meditation practice—about 10 minutes per day for at least eight weeks—the amygdala, which is the pain, stress, and worry center of the brain, begins to shrink,” explains Smith. That means your response to stressors and anxiety triggers also shrinks. “At the same time, meditation helps to strengthen the hypothalamus, which is one of the key centers of the brain for sleep,” Smith says. 

Smith suggests starting with a guided sleep meditation. “Listening to a meditation can give you something to focus on other than your anxiety and can lull you to sleep,” she says. There are dozens of great meditation apps to help you get started. 

6. Try a breathing exercise.

Breathing exercises are also surprisingly effective at getting you off to dream land. “If you awaken in the middle of the night, the 4-7-8 breathing method is a fantastic way to pull your body out of fight-or-flight mode, as it will bring about a relaxed, parasympathetic response,” says Dr. Navab. To do it: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale slowly for eight seconds.

7. Practice muscle relaxation.

Another powerful technique: progressive muscle relaxation. “Definitely one of my favorites,” says Dr. Breus. “It’s good because it teaches people the difference between when they’re tense and when they’re relaxed.” 

The premise is simple. Starting at the top of your head and moving toward the tip of your toes, progressively tense and relax your muscles while you’re lying in bed. “It’s very relaxing and has a tendency to put people to sleep,” Dr. Breus says. 

8. Go for a walk.

If all this zen stuff isn’t for you, consider exercise. “There’s almost no better way to reduce levels of stress than exercise,” says Dr. Breus. It doesn’t have to be intense—a 25-minute walk an hour before bedtime can help you calm those anxious thoughts.  

9. Stick to a schedule.

There’s a reason sleep experts recommend sticking to a consistent bedtime and wakeup time to maintain good sleep hygiene. Not only does it keep your internal clock from getting confused, “having a habit over which you have control will create stability and willpower that can dampen anxiety,” says Dr. Navab. “Anxiety is often related to a sense of control, so creating a routine of waking up at the same time each morning will bolster that command.”

10. Don’t check the clock.

If you find yourself lying awake at night, avoid the temptation to look at the clock. Nothing good can come of it. I’ve been lying awake how long? I have to get up that soon? “If you can avoid looking at the clock, you will avoid the additional anxiety,” says Dr. Breus. Seeing the clock is likely to make you panic and try even harder to fall asleep. “Nobody in the history of time has ever thought their way back to sleep—trying really hard is the opposite of what we want your brain to do,” Dr. Breus points out. 

11. Stay in bed.

It’s perfectly normal to wake up in the middle of the night (usually somewhere between 1 and 3 a.m. as your core body temperature begins to rise after falling all night). Most people fall back asleep within a few moments. If you don’t, don’t panic. Unless you’re dying to go to the bathroom, stay in bed, says Dr. Breus. “In order to get you back into a state of unconsciousness, your heart rate needs to be at 60 or below,” he explains. Going from lying to standing to walking will raise your heart rate, so avoid it if you can. 

Even if you can’t fall back to sleep for awhile, just lying there, eyes closed, is useful. This is called nonsleep deep rest. “It is not as rejuvenating as sleep, but if you do that for an hour, it’s worth about 20 minutes of sleep,” Dr. Breus says. Understanding this can help lower your anxiety and allow the natural sleep process to take back over.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/sleep-anxiety-worst-deal-140000773.html 

Why Does My Sleep Become Worse as I Age?

From nytimes.com

By Alisha Haridasani Gupta

Research has found that sleep quality does indeed get a little rusty as you grow older, but it’s not a fate you have to live with, experts say 

Q: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it harder and harder to fall and stay asleep. Why is that?

Dr. Abhinav Singh, medical director of the Indiana Sleep Centre and a sleep professor at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, likes to answer this question with an analogy. Think of your ability to sleep as though it were a car, he said. As it ages and clocks more miles, it begins to fall apart; it needs more repairs, and its ride becomes less smooth.

The same thing happens with your sleep, Dr. Singh said.

Researchers have found that sleep quality does indeed get a little rusty with age: Older adults are more likely to take longer to fall asleep, wake up more frequently throughout the night and spend more time napping during the day compared with younger adults. They also spend less time in deep, restorative sleep, which helps with bone and muscle growth and repair, strengthens the immune system and helps the brain reorganize and consolidate memories, Dr. Singh said. Your melatonin levels, which play an important role in sleep-wake cycles, also go awry with age, he said.

It is no surprise, then, that when researchers surveyed more than 9,000 people ages 65 and older in a landmark study published in 1995, they found that 57 percent of them reported at least one sleep complaint over three years. These included trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up too early, feeling unrested and napping during the day. In a different study, published in 2014, scientists found that a little more than half of the 6,050 older adults surveyed had either one or two insomnia symptoms over the past month.

Research suggests that women are more likely than men to report poorer sleep quality in general. And sleep begins to elude them earlier in life, usually starting around the menopausal transition (or the years leading up to menopause), which typically begins between 45 and 55, according to the National Institute on Aging.

What exactly causes these changes?

The truth is that no one knows for sure. “We’re only just starting to understand why all of this happens,” said Luis de Lecea, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University.

One explanation might have to do with an aging brain. In a study published in February, Dr. de Lecea and his team found that a particular cluster of neurons responsible for wakefulness became overly stimulated in aging mice, disrupting their sleep cycles. This shift “likely also happens to humans,” he said, because the part of the brain that regulates sleep in mice, called the hypothalamus, is similar to that of humans. (Many sleep studies are conducted in mice for practical and ethical reasons.) Researchers have also found that the suprachiasmatic nucleus, another brain region that regulates the body’s circadian rhythms, deteriorates in mice with age. This results in sleep disorders, including trouble falling asleep at regular times.

Certain lifestyle changes can lead to sleep disruption later in life, too, said Adam Spira, a professor and sleep researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As people retire, their days become less structured and routine. They may wake up later or nap during the day, which can make it harder to fall asleep at night, creating a vicious cycle.

Researchers have also found links between depression, loneliness, grief over the loss of a loved one and poor sleep in older adults. And in a 2014 study, Dr. Spira concluded that older adults who struggled with certain activities or household chores, like laundry, grocery shopping, meeting with friends or taking a walk, were more likely to report insomnia symptoms than older adults who were able to participate in those activities.

For women, hot flashes, night sweats and higher rates of depression, anxiety and stress — common symptoms of the menopausal transition — are also correlated with poor sleep. But researchers are still not exactly sure why those perimenopausal symptoms might be more severe and frequent in some women, and how best to address them.

Of course, certain medical conditions that are more prevalent in older adults can also wreak havoc on sleep, Dr. Singh said. Weight gain, for example, can increase the risk of developing a condition like sleep apnea, which can cause you to snore, gasp for air or feel like you’re choking while you’re sleeping. And medications, like diuretics for blood pressure, can also impair sleep because they can lead to more trips to the bathroom. They really can “act like darts into your sleep board,” Dr. Singh said.

Are sleepless nights a fate you have to live with?

The good news is that the same habits that improve sleep for people in general will work for older adults with changing sleep patterns, too, Dr. Spira said. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding naps and late-afternoon caffeine, following a healthy diet and exercising regularly are all things that will help your sleep, research suggests. In fact, one small study published in 2022 found that at least 40 minutes of either aerobic or resistance training four times a week helped older adults fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer.

Keeping consistent mealtimes every day can also help maintain a routine, which, in turn, can help regulate sleep, Dr. Singh said — as can spending time outside in sunlight, which helps keep melatonin production and the body’s circadian rhythm in check. Older adults who are on medications should also check with their doctors about whether the drugs might be interfering with their sleep and if there might be alternative options or a different dosage, he added.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/well/live/aging-sleep-insomnia.html

Sleep No More? These Natural Insomnia Remedies Deliver the Zz’s You Need

From firstforwomen.com

These might work better than the remedies you’ve heard about for years 

From gift shopping to the annual wrangling of the relatives, the holidays feel more go-go-go than ho-ho-ho. No wonder 40 percent of us have trouble sleeping this season. Yet fewer of us are looking to prescriptions to help us hit the hay, per a new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. “We’ve seen a 31 percent decrease in the use of prescription sleep aids in recent years,” says study author Christopher Kaufmann, PhD. “This is encouraging and likely due to more awareness of the side effects of sleep aids, like cognitive impairment and balance issues.” Translation: Natural insomnia remedies are on the rise.

stockfour/Shutterstock

To curb the use of these drugs, doctors are recommending safer alternatives. That’s good news for women, who experience more ill effects from sleep meds than men, says Steven Y. Park, MD, author of Sleep, Interrupted. “In fact, the FDA reduced the dose of Ambien for women from 10 mg to 5 mg because they metabolize it differently,” he says. To help you get the sleep you need without prescription drugs, try these three strategies — they just might work better than the remedies you’ve heard about for years.

Best daily shift: Set a ‘wake’ time

Anyone who has ever struggled to sleep has been told to set a strict bedtime and stick to it, but a strict wake time is a better bet. “The brain is a predicting machine and the more consistency you give it, the more likely it is to get into a regular sleep-wake cycle,” says Aric A. Prather, PhD, author of The Sleep Prescription. He says a bedtime is harder to stick to because it can feel like too much pressure and can actually worsen insomnia. The wake-time strategy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the gold-standard sleep treatment that entails creating an environment conducive to sleep. “Studies show it’s 80 percent effective,” says Molly Atwood, PhD, of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In one study, 86 percent of people enjoyed significantly better sleep after three sessions of CBT-I. Says Atwood: “Such non-pharmaceutical remedies are as effective as prescriptions in the short-term and moreso in the long-term.” Learn about CBT-I with free apps like CBT-i Coach.

Best bedtime Rx: Upgraded tea

We’ve all tried various sleepy-time teas, but when it comes to sleep, “valerian is arguably the best-studied root out there,” says Michael Breus, PhD, co-author of Energize! A study in The American Journal of Medicine showed that patients supplementing with valerian were 80 percent more likely to report better sleep. Consider getting your dose in tea form: the ritual of sipping a hot cuppa is not only relaxing, it also allows you to add more sleep-improving ingredients like lemon balm, which is also shown to help you drift off faster. Breus suggests one cup of valerian tea 75 to 90 minutes before bed. One to try: Buddha’s Herb Sleep and Relaxation Tea (Buy from Amazon, $11.49).

Best supplement: The other CBD

You’re likely familiar with cannabidiol (CBD), an ingredient in cannabis shown to ease pain and lower anxiety. But you may want to consider its lesser-known cousin cannabinol (CBN), says Breus, explaining that it’s an “oxidized” or weaker form of THC with powerful perks. “While you’d have to take 120 mg of CBD, almost a full bottle, to get its sleep-inducing benefits, CBN works at a much lower dose.” He advises starting with 5 mg of CBN and experimenting with the dose that works for you, up to 10 mg. One option: Slumber Sleep Aid Capsules, which you can get at SlumberCBN.com.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/sleep/drug-free-insomnia-remedies

Simple behaviour changes can help with insomnia, but know when to call the doctor

From nwitimes.com

Sleep is a wonderful gift. It allows the body to repair, recharge and restore. Quality sleep helps with mood, blood pressure, hormone balance, mental clarity, weight loss or maintenance, heart health, immunity, stress management and more. Sleep allows us to take a break from our conscious world and provides the perfect setting for dreams.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Less than this may lead to health issues, lack of energy, diminished cognitive ability, grumpiness, depression, increased risk of falling and a lack of zeal for life.

For many, getting enough sleep is easier said than done. According to BMC/BioMed Central, about 50% of people 55 and older have trouble falling and staying asleep. Sleep patterns change as we get older. However, poor sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging. Depending on the cause, there are ways that may help increase the number of hours you get to spend in dreamland. 

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble falling and/or staying asleep. The condition may be short or long term. It may be associated with or caused by stress, pain, medications, sleep apnoea or other breathing disorders, restless leg syndrome, neurological conditions, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, poor bladder control, cardiovascular disease or gastrointestinal conditions. Aging reduces the efficiency of our internal clock, disrupting circadian rhythm. This results in falling asleep and waking up earlier.

Simple tips to improve sleep

Before heading to the doctor or sleep specialist, you might like to try incorporating some of these good sleeping habits to minimize insomnia.

• Create a schedule for going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Stick to it even on weekends and when traveling.
• Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, pop), nicotine and other stimulants late in the day or evening.
• Finish eating about 3-4 hours before bedtime.
• Keep the room dark and quiet and the temperature of the room cool and comfortable.
• Limit alcohol, which can disrupt sleep, to one drink several hours before bedtime.
• Establish a calm bedtime routine that limits use of cell phones, computers, television and any other electronic devices. These emit blue light that can make it difficult to fall asleep. Instead try a warm shower or bath, gentle yoga, meditation, reading or listening to music.
• Do not use the bedroom for work or watching television.
• Enjoy activities and exercise during the day, but not close to bedtime.
• Avoid listening to disturbing news or watching unsettling television shows or movies late in the evening.
• Limit liquid intake after dinner to help prevent night-time bathroom visits.
• Avoid daytime napping, especially in the late afternoon or evening, which can throw off your sleep cycle.
• Keep lighting low as you get ready for bed.
• Practice completely relaxing each section of your body, beginning with your toes, then feet, ankles, and so on. By the time you reach your head, you may be asleep.
• Repeat a mantra or familiar prayer to yourself over and over until you’re sleeping.
• Get out of bed if you haven't fallen asleep after about 20 minutes and read or try some other calm activity. Return to bed when you feel sleepy.

If these strategies don't help your insomnia or you have a health condition that is preventing you from getting sleep, it may be time to check with your doctor or other health-care provider for individualised treatment.

While it’s tempting to try over-the-counter medications and herbal remedies  to help sleep, they may interfere with a health condition or prescription drugs that you’re taking. Sleep medications are not a long-term solution but may be used occasionally for a short time to help reset the sleep cycle. Other non-pharmacological treatments available include sleep apnoea devices, cognitive behavioural therapy, sleep restriction and bright light therapy.

When a lack of sleep consistently affects your quality of life, it’s important to determine the root cause to solve the problem.

Carol Slager is a licensed pharmacist, author, blogger and health coach in Northwest Indiana. Follow her monthly in Get Healthy and at inkwellcoaching.com. Opinions expressed are the writer's.

https://www.nwitimes.com/lifestyles/seniors/simple-behavior-changes-can-help-with-insomnia-but-know-when-to-call-the-doctor/article_450896b9-eff5-5a01-a8c1-c2db91c47692.html

Meditation and Sleep

From sleepfoundation.org

By Jay Summer

Many people know the feeling of being unable to sleep due to stress. Once sleep problems begin, they can also trigger anxiety around the idea of bedtime, making it even more difficult to fall asleep. Meditation is one technique that people can use to relieve stress at bedtime and fall asleep more easily. 

Meditation has a long history, particularly in Eastern cultures, where it was often used in the context of spirituality or religion. In Western medicine, meditation has been studied for several decades with evidence suggesting that it might bring about relaxation and ease stress. Research also suggests that meditation can help with pain and sleep disturbances.

We discuss how meditation works, different types of meditation, and how to use meditation for sleep.

What Does Meditation Do for Sleep? 

Meditation is considered a type of mind-body therapy, because meditation techniques often combine mental work with physical aspects such as deep breathing. By targeting both anxious thoughts and physical stress symptoms, sleep meditation aims to bring about overall relaxation that helps prepare the body for sleep.

On a mental level, meditation techniques are intended to promote a more relaxed response to a person’s stressful thoughts and feelings. Meditation styles often incorporate the idea of mindfulness, or a focus on the present moment with an open, non-judgmental mindset. Meditation may also incorporate concentrating on a repeated phrase, a visual image, a sound, or a sensation, such as breathing, to help reduce distractions. 

Meditation is also designed to trigger a physical relaxation response that counteracts the stress response. The stress response, or fight-or-flight response, involves sweating, a rapid heart rate, faster breathing, tense muscles, and increased blood pressure, which are not conducive to sleep. The relaxation response calms breathing, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, and slows brain waves.

Mindfulness and meditation likely help people sleep via several different pathways. 

• Slowed breathing: Deep breathing using the diaphragm, a muscle below the lungs, is a cornerstone of many meditation practices. The focus on calm, deep breathing appears to be one of the principal pathways by which meditation reduces anxiety. 
• Calmed stress pathways: Like other relaxation techniques, meditation can help lower heart rate and blood pressure. Some data suggests that meditation reduces activation of stress pathways in the brain, as well as levels of stress hormones. 
• Improved mental outlook: Concentrating on the present moment during meditation may help a person anxiously think about the past or future less often and soften their reactions to difficult experiences.
• Better managed pain: Some studies have found that meditation can reduce pain, while others have not. Even when meditation does not reduce a person’s physical pain, it may help make the pain more bearable. This effect may be useful for people who have trouble sleeping due to chronic pain.

Although more research is needed, evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation may improve sleep quality on a level similar to exercise or cognitive behavioural therapy. 

Up to one year after participating in a meditation program, many participants still experience better sleep quality. Researchers believe this may be due to changes to connections in the brain, changes to the way a person moves through sleep stages, and the practice of mental techniques that decrease sleep-disrupting thoughts. 

To maximize potential benefits, it may help to use meditation alongside other healthy sleep habits, such as keeping regular bedtimes and keeping the sleep environment cool, dark, and quiet.

How to Meditate

There are many types of meditation, and each has its own specific practices. However, most meditation styles have a few concepts in common. 

• Concentration: Meditation usually asks a person to focus on a certain object, a repeated phrase, or their breathing. While they focus, they remain receptive to any thoughts that may crop up, but do their best to gently steer their attention back to the object of focus in a non-judgmental manner.
• Quiet environment: Reducing outside distractions can help a person who is meditating enter into a calm state of mind.
• Deep breathing: Breathing in a calm, controlled manner during meditation can promote relaxation. People are usually instructed to concentrate on using the diaphragm muscles that are located below the lungs instead of using the chest muscles. 
• Comfortable position: Meditation can be practiced while sitting, but it can also be performed while standing, walking, lying down, or adopting specific postures and movements.
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Types of Meditation

People may use a variety of meditation styles to help them sleep, including mindfulness meditation, guided meditation, qigong, tai chi, and yoga.

Meditation for anxiety and sleep is often combined with other relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness practices involve concentrating on the present, and they allow a person to experience emotions and thoughts without judgment. Like diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness may help a person relax at bedtime and reduce symptoms of insomnia.

Guided Meditation

In guided meditation, a person may listen to an audio recording that helps direct their thoughts as they meditate. For example, a guided meditation track may tell the person how to adjust their breathing, how to work through their thoughts, or how to interpret physical sensations. 

Guided imagery is another form of guided meditation that leads a person on a visual journey to help elicit relaxation. Guided imagery can incorporate explicit instructions, such as asking a person to imagine they are walking along a tropical beach and encouraging them to use all five senses to experience the scene. Alternatively, guided imagery can be more open-ended, such as by instructing a person to imagine they are in their favourite place. 

Several studies have found that guided meditation programs may help improve sleep. 

Qigong

Qigong is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that uses mental focus, slow movements, and deep breathing to improve  energy flow within the body. 

Scientific evidence for the benefits of qigong is still in the early stages, with researchers examining if qigong techniques could help manage pain, improve quality of life, decrease stress and depression, or improve sleep quality.

Tai Chi

Tai chi is a type of meditation that involves constant, gentle movement. Although tai chi was originally developed as a martial art, it is used as a form of qigong currently, to improve health and wellness. People who practice tai chi adopt a series of postures in a slow, relaxed manner while concentrating on breathing deeply and letting go of distracting thoughts. 

Yoga

Yoga commonly incorporates mindfulness meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, and stretching-based poses. The exact techniques vary depending on the type of yoga. A yoga teacher can suggest appropriate poses based on a person’s experience level, physical capabilities, and needs. 

There are few high-quality studies on the benefits of yoga, though research suggests yoga might be helpful for reducing stress, improving sleep quality, and managing insomnia related to stress or chronic health conditions. 

Yoga Nidra

Also known as yogic sleep or psychic sleep, yoga nidra is a type of yoga said to induce a sleep-like state. This state may imitate the brain waves that occur while a person sleeps, even moving through different sleep stages, while allowing the person to retain some level of consciousness. Yoga nidra can incorporate chanting, focus on breathing, and awareness of different body parts. 

Research on yoga nidra for sleep is still in the early stages, but studies suggest it may improve sleep quality and reduce time spent awake in bed.

Does Meditation Have Any Risks?

Although meditation for sleep does not pose risks for most people, a small percentage of people may experience mental discomfort, particularly those with pre-existing mental health conditions, addiction, or a history of trauma. Possible risks associated with meditation include: 

• Poorer sleep quality 
• Muscle soreness 
• Disorientation or confusion 
• Negative feelings such as sadness, anxiety, or anger 
• Heightened awareness of fears or one’s own negative qualities
• Intrusive thoughts 
• Fear of losing control 

People who have experienced anxiety or panic disorder, especially those who have hyperventilated in the past, should be careful when trying deep breathing. In some cases, relaxation techniques can trigger anxiety or panic attacks. 

With movement-based meditation practices, like yoga, some people, particularly older adults or those with other health conditions, may sustain light injuries such as strains or sprains. Very rarely, a person may sustain a more serious injury. Certain types of yoga, such as hot yoga, may be riskier, particularly for those with other risk factors. Starting out slow under the guidance of a professional and avoiding poses that are beyond one’s ability level can help reduce these risks.

Not many studies have specifically looked for risks of meditation and mindfulness practices, so there may be some risks that experts are not aware of. Those who are considering trying meditations for sleep for the first time may prefer to start with guidance from a professional coach or therapist. 

People who have an illness or are pregnant may face increased risk when trying meditation. Those who have epilepsy or heart disease in particular should speak with their doctor before beginning a meditation or relaxation practice.

Other Benefits of Meditation

Among people who use meditation, many of them do so in an attempt to feel less stressed and sleep better. Meditation can also help bring about a positive attitude, boost self-confidence, and increase a person’s sense of compassion and tolerance.

Although much more research is needed, experts are hopeful that meditation may help with a number of additional conditions, including:

• Stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 
• Anxiety and depression 
• Pain 
• Problems with weight management 
• High blood pressure 
• Addictions 
• Sexual dysfunction 
• Chronic pain 
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis symptoms 
• Cancer 
• Heart-related problems 
• Balance, in the case of yoga and tai chi 
• Attention problems 

Meditation may be helpful when dealing with stress, but it is not a replacement for medical care. People who have symptoms of a mental or physical health condition, including a sleep disorder, should talk with their health care provider for treatment. 

A Short Meditation for Sleep

It may take practice to master the art of relaxing and letting the mind be at peace. A good place to start is with a simple meditation exercise that involves breathing exercises for sleep. 

1. Turn off the lights and phone notifications, set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature, and sit upright in a chair with your feet on the floor or lie comfortably in bed facing up. Place one hand on your chest, the other on your midsection. 
2. Breathe in slowly through the nose. The hand on your midsection should rise, while the hand on your chest should stay still. This is called diaphragmatic breathing.
3. Breathe out slowly. Repeat 10 calm, controlled breaths, always making sure to use your diaphragm instead of the chest muscles. 
4. Clear your mind and focus on breathing. Try not to become anxious if negative thoughts appear. Acknowledge them, then let them go and return to a place of peace.

Those who are interested in trying meditation for sleep can learn different techniques through a class or book. There are also many meditation soundtracks available on popular video and audio streaming platforms, as well as dedicated smartphone applications and podcasts. Meditation techniques are often fairly easy to do at home via live or recorded classes. When using sleep meditation audio tracks on a smartphone before bed, be sure to dim or turn off the screen.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/meditation-for-sleep