2 Short, Simple Meditations That Practically Guarantee A Better Night’s Sleep

From shefinds.com

Oftentimes, the stress of our daily lives and the demands of the day can spill into our evenings and make it difficult to fall asleep. For many, getting a good night’s rest can feel like an impossible task. But sleep shouldn’t be a luxury; it’s a cornerstone of physical and mental well-being and should be made a priority in your life. Of course, though, that’s often easier said than done. In fact, you may have tried an array of different things to solve your personal sleep issues, from supplements to “sleepy girl mocktails.” But as it turns out, one of the best things you can do to find the relaxation you need for a rejuvenating sleep is to give meditation a try.

To discover a few of the best, simple meditation techniques that could help you achieve the sleep you’ve been dreaming of (if you’ve been dreaming at all), we spoke to psychologist Rod Mitchell, an expert in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. He told us that mindful breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are two options you should definitely give a try. “These techniques, rooted in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), are not only simple but also empower individuals to proactively contribute to their own sleep health,” he says. “Mindful breathing helps in reducing the mental chatter that often hinders sleep, while PMR addresses the physical tension that can keep us awake.” Learn more about each below. 

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1. Mindful Breathing Meditation

While there are many ways to promote relaxation, sometimes all you really need is your own breath. Mitchel explains that mindful breathing—a practice that turns your attention to your breath—is one of the best meditation techniques you could try before bed. He tells us how it's done:

1. Lie down in your bed, ensuring you're comfortable. You can place a pillow under your knees for extra support if needed.

2. Focus on your breath: Gently close your eyes. Bring your attention to your breathing. Notice the air entering and leaving your nostrils. Feel the rise and fall of your chest.

3. If your mind wanders, which is natural, kindly guide it back to your breath. The key is to observe your breath without trying to change it.

4. Continue this for about 5-10 minutes. The goal is to centre your thoughts on your breathing, easing your mind away from the day's stresses.

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2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

In addition to focusing on your breathing, another great way to unwind before bed is to relax your muscles. Oftentimes, stress can lead to tension in your body that makes it extremely difficult to fall asleep each night. Moving through a meditation that allows each of your muscles to relax can help combat this issue. Mitchel lays out the process for us:

1. Lie down comfortably on your bed. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to start relaxing.

2. Tense and relax muscle groups: Begin with your toes. Tense them for 5 seconds, then relax for 30 seconds. Notice the difference in sensation between tension and relaxation.

3. Progress upwards: Move gradually through each muscle group – feet, calves, thighs, abdomen, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, and face. Tense each for 5 seconds and relax for 30 seconds.

4. As you relax each muscle group, imagine the stress and tension leaving your body, being replaced by a feeling of relaxation and peace.

5.After completing all muscle groups, spend a few minutes in a state of relaxation, breathing slowly and deeply.

You can even combine these techniques; when your entire body is relaxed from PMR, turn your attention to your breath to help calm your mind, as well.

It's also worth noting that there are plenty of guided meditations for each of these techniques online. Sometimes, a calming voice guiding you through muscle relaxation or breathwork can really be the icing on the cake that helps you fall asleep.

Of course, it's important to remember that there are many factors that can affect your sleep, and a simple meditation may not always do the trick. If you're consistently struggling with insomnia, the best thing to do is speak to a professional.

However, when combined with other healthy sleep habits, working meditation into your bedtime routine can certainly take you one step closer to restful, restorative sleep.

https://www.shefinds.com/collections/best-sleep-meditations/

Here’s How to Fall Back Asleep After Waking Up in the Middle of the Night

From msn.com

Story by Corey Whelan, Miranda Manier

Put the phone away

When you wake up in the middle of the night, try to resist the urge to check email or hop on Facebook; the blue light emitted by electronics interferes with your sleep, according to Harvard research. If you find it impossible to skip your screen time, either before bed or at 3 a.m., try this trick from Nadine Hemens, a middle-school assistant principal. "Middle of the night insomnia is a big one for me, and I used to make it way worse by checking email," she says. "Now, I simply tell myself that whatever it is, it can wait, and I listen to a meditation app on my phone instead. I usually fall back asleep without even realizing it." If your computer, iPad or phone is a bedtime staple you can't do without, make sure to at least dim the screen down at night. This may help you stay asleep until morning.

Transform your bedroom into a quiet, dark sanctuary

"Middle of the night insomnia is often caused by emotional distress, anxiety or a busy mind. Throughout the night, we go into sleep cycles. As we go into each cycle, we wake up a little, but typically don't remember, and fall back asleep. If you are stressed out, those wake-ups can become a full awakening, and your mind gets very busy," explains Rachel Ross, a certified sleep consultant with the Family Sleep Institute. If you're frequently waking up in the middle of the night, Ross recommends making your bedroom soothing and dark. "Even if you're a shift worker, keep it quiet and comfortable. You have to work with what you have. If you live in a noisy city, and can't sleep through it, white noise is helpful. A fan works just fine, or you can try a white noise machine that includes nature sounds. You can also try earplugs, and an eye mask, if there is too much ambient light in the middle of the night," she adds.

One, two, three, sleep! Not

If waking up in the middle of the night feels a lot like your brain has a mind of its own, you're right. According to the National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is the inability of the brain to stop being awake. Wondering how to fall back asleep? Don't just lie there; do something soothing, suggests Ross. "Try deep breathing, relaxation exercises or soothing music. If you have a snoring partner, place a white noise machine on your side of the bed. And never, ever, have an alarm clock facing you while you're trying to sleep," she says. If it's really hard to get your brain to rest, go to a chair and read, but do not turn on all the lights. And absolutely do not start an activity that will wake you up even more, like watching the news on TV, she says.

Eliminate your after-dinner drink

Alcohol is a depressant known for making people fall asleep quickly, but it may also be the reason you're up during the second half of the night when your sleep should be its deepest, according to the NSF. "I always thought that having a late-night drink would help me sleep, but I started to notice it backfiring," says Suzanne Miller, a busy attorney and mom to two teens. "On nights when I had a few glasses of wine, I would find myself staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m. I started to replace alcohol with chamomile tea and found that I was calmer and better able to sleep. I also wake up feeling less dehydrated, and more refreshed," she adds. If you wake up in the middle of the night, don't use alcohol as a sleep aid. Try sipping some water, or have a cup of herbal tea instead.

Need another reason to stop smoking? Here it is

You already know that smoking is bad for your health, but did you also know it may adversely affect your natural circadian rhythm, making it harder to stay asleep? Smokers have a greater risk of developing the heavy-snoring disorder of sleep apnoea, they sleep more lightly than non-smokers and they wake up more frequently in the middle of the night, according to the NSF. Skimping on sleep has been linked to multiple diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. If you're looking for another reason to quit, consider it found. Talk to your doctor about strategies to help you quit, and remember that it may briefly get worse before it gets better: temporary insomnia is a common side effect of nicotine withdrawal.

Bore yourself sleepy

If you can't fall back asleep for 20 minutes or more, try reciting poems you memorized as a kid, the multiplication times table or movie scenes from your favourite films. You can even sing songs to yourself in your head, suggests the NSF. If this sounds a little bit like counting sheep, it's because the principle behind it is the same. Repetition can be soothing, allowing your brain to relax, slowly gentling you back into sleep. There are also apps and podcasts that tell nonsensical and/or boring bedtime stories.

Try progressive muscle relaxation

Use your body to relax your brain and reduce stress by using relaxation techniques, the NSF advises. Not sure how to do that? Try this progressive muscle relaxation: Work on one muscle group at a time, starting with your feet going up towards your head. Gently tense your muscles, count to five, and slowly let them relax. Do one extremity at a time, and make sure to keep breathing deeply during each contraction. Pay special attention to areas of your body which hold the most stress, such as your jaw, or neck. The 4-7-8 breathing technique follows a rhythm of breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven and exhaling for eight.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/heres-how-to-fall-back-asleep-after-waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night/ar-AA13mwrT

What Relaxation Strategy Can Help With My Insomnia?

From psychologytoday.com/ca/blog

Insomnia is defined as difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep, and there is distress or daytime impairment as a result of sleep disruption. Approximately 10-15 percent of the U.S. population is suffering from insomnia disorder, which means the above sleep disruption occurs at least three nights a week and has been occurring for at least three months or longer.

Relaxation therapy for insomnia is considered a standard behavioural treatment approach by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It is a standard treatment because there is ample evidence from research to support the efficacy of relaxation techniques helping to reduce the occurrence of insomnia.

One such technique, called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), was developed in the 1920s by an American Physician, Dr. Edmund Jacobson. The intent of PMR is to reduce muscular tension caused by stress and to quiet the mind, as it requires one to focus on the procedure and disrupts the flow of racing thoughts.

PMR can be completed in a variety of ways. First, find a quiet environment to practice in, and then sit comfortably or lie down. You can start with the muscle groups in the feet and work up the body, or start with the muscle groups in the head and move down the body. The goal is to feel the difference in a tensed state and relaxed state for different muscle regions. When a muscle group is tensed, hold the tension for 5-15 seconds, and then focus on releasing and relaxing the muscle group for 20-40 seconds.

The idea is that someone who is physiologically activated has muscular tension they may not even be aware of, as the muscles can be chronically tight. An example is tensing the shoulder muscles by shrugging the shoulders upwards (as if using body language to say, "I don't know") and holding it for 5-15 seconds, and then releasing the muscles and focusing on the relaxed state for 20-40 seconds. If you have an area of pain or physical trauma, you would want to avoid tensing that muscle group or do so gently.

PMR is beneficial for improving insomnia because research has shown that compared to those without insomnia, those with insomnia are more physiologically activated during sleep as well as during waking hours. This physiological arousal can include higher muscle tension and an increase in racing thoughts. PMR aims to help the system towards a more relaxed state by directly addressing the muscle tension.

By focusing on the procedure, there is a distraction for the mind, and this runs interference with the mind’s racing thoughts. A relaxed physiological state is important for sleep onset and for quality of sleep. 

One benefit to relaxation therapy includes no serious side effects as one would be concerned with in sleep medication by comparison. There are many resources available to help you with PMR, such as starting with an audio version to walk you through the technique. Through practice, over time, you will become proficient and be able to complete the technique from memory.

As with any activity that you are unfamiliar with, you would want to practice during the daytime to start with, and as you feel more comfortable with completing the PMR, you can use it prior to bedtime to help reduce physiological activation.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/sleep-health-and-wellness/201911/what-relaxation-strategy-can-help-my-insomnia