How mindfulness can help with sleep
How is your sleep?
Many of us struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep. Not having a good nights sleep can negatively impact our mental and physical wellbeing. It can be very frustrating and upsetting. Many of us struggle to switch off because our minds are so busy.
It can effect our mood and our ability to focus. The NHS currently recommends the average person needs around eight hours of good-quality sleep every night to function properly. It warns a lack of sleep can make people more prone to a number of medical conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Mindfulness can help by bringing an awareness to our thoughts and choices that we make throughout the day that impact our sleep. Meditation can help us to relax, let go and release tension.
These are my recommendations that can improve your quality of sleep (some of these will be hard for shift workers to adopt but you can still take some of this advice and build it into your own personal routine).
Have a relaxing bed-time routine, switch off technology at least an hour before bed and do something relaxing like reading a book, take a bath or do some journaling. It gives the mind chance to wind down and regularly doing this will be an indication to your body that you are preparing for sleep.
If possible, try to go to bed at the same time and waking at the same time, even on weekends. This can help to develop and support strong circadian rhythms; consistency tells the body when to stay awake and when to get drowsy.
If you can, keep your phone on silent during the night and put it away out of sight.
Meditate during the day or before bedtime, when we settle the mind, we rest the body—and that restfulness is what makes it easier to wind down and drift off. A body scan meditation is good for helping you to relax and release tension.
If you wake up and can’t get back to sleep, try meditation, in or out of bed. If that doesn’t help, do something, read a book, go for a gentle stroll, listen to music, have a de-caff tea or soothing hot drink.
Try not to overthink it, worry, or force it, your body knows when to rest, trust in it, go with the flow. Remember that even just sitting resting is good for the body.
Try not to think about the future, it hasn’t happened yet, the only moment you can live in is the present moment. So instead of worrying, do something you enjoy that helps you to feel calm and relaxed.
There are some good apps available like ‘Calm’ and ‘Headspace’, that have sleep stories and calming music.
Finally, remember to listen to your body, and treat yourself with self-care and compassion.