Use your mind to sleep better
by Danielle Winston
Ilustration by Hojin Jung
When was the last time you woke up feeling energized? In many ways, getting enough shuteye is more connected to health than even nourishing foods and exercise. No matter what kind of emotional and physical curveballs life throws at you, sleep is your opportunity to squeeze in a little time for yourself. Self-care at its finest might just be the five stages of sleep that harmonize to give your body and mind a chance to heal, regenerate, and strengthen immunity. Plus, it just feels good to rest well!
It's no surprise that research shows your quality of slumber directly impacts your quality of life. But getting the hours and depth needed doesn't always come easy. According to the CDC, roughly 14% of adults report that they have a difficult time falling asleep. Without enough nightly rest, you operate at a reduced capacity, and with that reduced capacity comes an increased risk of memory impairment, poor decision-making, lower immunity, and more.
Here’s where mindfulness comes in; it’s all about present-moment awareness. And that sweet spot before you drift is when you transition from the waking world to the unconscious realm. Too often though, remnants from your day — usually in the form of images, thoughts, and feelings — bubble to the surface, interfere, and cause restlessness. Instead of tossing and turning in frustration, use the power of your mind to lull you into a productive night's sleep.
Meditation for better sleep
Hojin Jung
A dedicated meditation practice can be a mental game-changer. Along with a host of emotional and physical benefits, studies show it helps fight insomnia and improves overall sleep quality.
Here’s how meditation works to improve sleep: as you declutter your busy mind, it relaxes the brainwaves and releases feel-good hormones, which reduces stress levels. Instead of warding off racing thoughts, meditation helps you feel calm and balanced and makes it less likely that you’ll struggle as much with bedtime stress.
Allowing Rest 10-minute meditation: In this meditation, you are guided by the tranquil voice of life coach, author, and speaker John Davisi as he illustrates how to gently release tension until you become drowsy. The meditation includes a helpful section that allows you to set intentions for a deeper night's sleep. The video is part of Davisi's Sleep Playlist — a six-part video series, roughly 90 minutes long in total. Try them all! Or select what works best for you based on your specific sleep concerns.
Yoga and pranayama for sleep: Yoga connects the body and mind in a fluid meditation linked to the breath. The ancient practice is especially beneficial for sleep, when the mind sometimes works against the body by clinging to tension. Research shows that slow, deep yoga breathing (pranayama) as well as a gentle asana practice counteracts the autonomic nervous system's anxious response. This fosters tranquil energy and increases vagal tone, which leads to relaxation and improved sleep quality. When the nervous system is soothed, your heart rate, breath, and digestion also stabilize. Since deep breathing helps increase oxygen flow, it may also improve respiratory function.
15-Minute Bedtime Yoga: Try this bedtime meditation as a part of Yoga with Kassandra’s 30-day evening yoga challenge or simply as a standalone session. While linking to the breath, Kassandra invites you to stretch your muscles in gentle warmups. Let go of kinks and warm the body as you prepare for sleep. Practicing hatha before sleep gives you the chance to limber up your joints, removing even micro levels of tension, blocks, and stiffness that may keep you awake. Kassandra also has a 5-minute yoga for bedtime deep stretch you might benefit from trying.
Calm breathing before sleep: Tune into the rhythm of your breath as Jason Stephenson takes you on an inward journey during this ultra peaceful breath meditation.
Music to help you sleep: Lullabies have long been used to coax babies to sleep, but they’re not the only ones who can benefit from soothing sounds before slumber. Music works on the senses in a powerful way — depending on the tune, it can increase your energy levels or lower your heart rate. Music can even release hormones shown to assist with sleep. A research study consisting of subjects who had insomnia found that listening to music forty-five minutes before bedtime for four days shortened light sleep, known as stage two, and lengthened productive REM state, resulting in a more beneficial sleep quality. In this piece on ambient music for sleep, writer Paul Dougherty lists his five favorite albums to stream or download for better sleep: Sophie Hutchings, Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi, Isobel Waller-Bridge, and Yiruma.
Self-hypnosis for rest: Sleep challenges go beyond problems with falling asleep. Waking up hours later and struggling to fall back asleep are also common issues. Although some people are more susceptible to hypnosis than others, multiple studies have found it can have a positive effect on sleep outcomes. Self-hypnosis allows you to personalize post-hypnotic suggestions.
The practice can give you “confidence that even if you wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, you'll effortlessly fall back asleep,” says Erika Flint, board-certified hypnotist. Things like pain in the body and medications that might wake you up can be addressed. “Hypnosis has been shown to lessen pain sensations in the body, allowing you to fall asleep more quickly,” adds Flint.
Depending on your needs, Flint explains, you can add approaches to “enhance a sense of fulfillment and connection in life, gratitude, and positive self-talk.” Another technique Flint suggests is to “observe where you are improving to feed happy feelings back to the mind before resting,” because this helps you feel inspired the next day.
Listen to Flint's five hypnotic fantasies to help you fall asleep.
As you try these various practices, know that consistency matters. A regular bedtime and morning wakeup helps stabilize your body’s internal clock (also known as the circadian rhythm). Another tip? Be aware of your caffeine intake — that late-afternoon mocha latte might be keeping you wide awake during the witching hours. It can take up to ten hours to clear caffeine out of your system! To get the most out of your sleep-care efforts, train yourself to mentally unwind at least an hour before bed.
Here’s to falling asleep easily with blissful dreams on the way.