A Quick Guide on Meditation and Mindfulness for Better Sleep

Too many adults in the US aren’t getting enough sleep.In fact, the latest sleep study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) showed that 35% of adults get less than a full night’s sleep.

Most people underestimate the importance of sleep to our overall health and wellness. Let’s dig in a bit to understand why not getting enough sleep is bad for your body, and what you can do to get a proper night’s rest.

Why is getting enough sleep important to our overall health?

Sleep is so much more than just a luxury—we absolutely need enough consistent sleep to function and remain healthy. When we sleep, we give our bodies time to repair any damages and to recharge to face another day. Getting enough sleep also helps our body fight off disease and helps keep our brains functioning properly.

What are the benefits of sleep?

Getting enough sleep provides us with plenty of benefits.Proper sleep helps improve our mood, so we feel better and happier throughout the day. Sleep helps improve our memory, productivity, and overall fitness by helping us maintain a healthy heart, increase exercise performance, and prevent weight gain.

What is the proper amount of sleep we should be getting?

Most adults generally need 7–9 hours of sleep between10 PM and 4 AM every night. The latest CDC statistics shows that people who don’t get enough sleep are 8.6% more likely to suffer from depression, 3.9% to be affected by COPD, and at least 1.2% more likely to be at risk for a stroke, heart disease, or heart attack.

How to use mindfulness and meditation to get a better sleep schedule?

It should be clearer now why having a good, consistent sleep schedule is key to your overall health and wellness. If you need to improve your sleep, one of the best things you can do for your health is to practice helpful mindfulness exercises.

A bit about mindfulness: definition and uses for improving sleep.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that helps you focus on being present and “in the moment”. During a mindfulness meditation session, your mind focuses on what you are doing and what is happening in your environment. One way to use mindfulness for a better night’s rest is to practice sleep meditation. Sleep meditation is also known as Yoga Nidra, which is the Sanskrit word for sleep. It is used to help you get into a deep, relaxed state so that you can fall asleep easier, faster, and get abetter night’s rest. You can use a guided meditation option to practice Yoga Nidra.

You can also use meditation music or use a sleep podcast to help with your sleep meditation practice. Sleep hypnosis is another form of mindfulness meditation that can help improve your sleep. A study in 2014 showed that sleep hypnosis increased deep sleep up to 80% in some cases. With this method, a hypnotherapist guides you into a state of deep sleep using a series of verbal cues. This can be done in person or with an audio recording performed by a professional.

Where can I find mindfulness teachers/coaches?

One of the most effective ways to quickly learn and use mindfulness meditation for sleep is to work with a mindfulness teacher or coach. At Ollovus ,we make it easy for you to find a trusted coach to help you in your health and wellness journey. When using the Ollovus app, you can quickly search for coaches specializing in sleep meditation and sleep hypnosis, or in other areas of interest. We make it easy for you to connect with coaches all across the US for both virtual and in-person sessions.

Learning how to meditate at night can help improve the quality of your sleep. Don’t hesitate to incorporate a healthy mindfulness meditation into your daily routine, and to reach out to a teacher/coach for help. It truly is an effective and holistic option for improving the health and wellness of your mind, body, and soul.