Meditation for sleep
Sleep meditation can help you get to sleep faster, enjoy better rest, and reduce the stress that makes a good night’s sleep difficult. Developing the ability to sleep better through meditation can significantly improve your overall well-being.
If you’re hoping for a way to get a better night’s sleep, you’re not alone. A 2020
The charity Mind outlines the close relationship between sleep and mental health: "Poor sleep leads to worrying. Worrying leads to poor sleep. Worrying about sleep is like your mind trying to fight itself".¹
The daily stress of life makes it difficult to turn off the hyperactivity of the brain when it’s time for sleep. And insufficient sleep means the body and mind can’t rejuvenate. With less sleep, we become less resilient, more irritable, and less clear-thinking. This results in even more stress.
Meditation can break the cycle of stress and poor sleep without drugs, by either reducing or even blocking stress, which is crucial for those having trouble falling asleep. Let’s take a look at two prominent forms of sleep meditation: mindfulness and the Transcendental Meditation technique.
Mindfulness sleep meditation
Some forms of mindfulness and guided meditation can be beneficial for achieving a quiet and restful mind.
Mindfulness sleep meditation involves techniques like progressive relaxation and deep breathing to help you relax and drift off. These practices can block the pattern of stress-related mental activity that frequently appears when one lays down to sleep.
By allowing the mind and body to relax in this way, mindfulness sleep meditation can result in falling asleep faster and then enjoying a good night’s rest.
These guided meditations for sleep often take the form of recorded tracks that lead a meditator through the steps of the meditation.
A speaker, in a slow and steady voice, may guide the practitioner through progressive relaxation, which gently directs the attention of the mind from one part of the body to the next to notice any sensation or tension.
After the body has become more relaxed in this way, the speaker may lead the practitioner in a breathing exercise that further relaxes the body and calms the mind. Many of these recordings include additional visualisations and music.
These guided meditations typically have a duration of ten to twenty minutes. Some continue longer with calming music after the speaker has completed the script.
Incorporating mindfulness with progressive relaxation and deep breathing techniques into your bedtime routine can help relax the body and mind and allow sleep to come more easily.
Transcendental Meditation for better sleep
Both ease of falling asleep and quality of sleep are improved by practising the Transcendental Meditation technique.
The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique differs from other forms of sleep meditation; it is not practised before sleep or as a direct means of falling asleep. Instead, the TM technique is practised twice daily for 15-20 minutes, typically before breakfast and dinner.
Transcendental Meditation does not involve the intentional guiding or directing of your mind.
Rather, it is a technique that unleashes the natural tendency of the mind to move within to a state of deep calm and inner peace. The automatic outcome of regular practice of TM enriches life broadly through the reduction of stress and the unfoldment of one’s consciousness.
"TM has decluttered my nervous system so that any negative feeling is behind me, instead of leading me, and on the surface. I am falling asleep quicker and having more restful moments of deep sleep"
Patty, March 2023,
How does Transcendental Meditation result in better sleep?
During the past 54 years, over 370 peer-reviewed scientific studies have been conducted on practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The first studies showed that TM practice produces a state of rest, or a reduction of metabolic activity, even deeper than the deepest part of sleep.²
Yet, the mind remains alert. This state of “restful alertness” allows the body to naturally eliminate both deeply-rooted stress and the superficial stress of daily life.³
More recent studies have found that practising the TM technique results in the increase of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood and sleep-wake cycles. Healthy levels of serotonin promote restful sleep.⁴
Research also shows that TM practice reduces the level of stress-related hormones including cortisol, which affects a large number of areas in life, particularly our quality of sleep.⁵
Reduction of insomnia
A study on the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the Transcendental Meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic found a reduction of insomnia symptoms by 44%.⁶
Similar improvement in sleep quality and reduced insomnia has been reported among practitioners of Transcendental Meditation in a growing number of peer-reviewed studies of diverse populations, including
Which is the best sleep meditation for you?
No one can answer that question for you. Both forms of meditation have been found to be effective for millions of people around the world. Let’s explore the differences.
For many people, especially those just starting out with mindfulness meditation for sleep, the practice will involve listening to a recorded guided script.
If that works for you, then you may enjoy a good night’s rest. Some will develop the ability to self-guide themselves, while others will continue to enjoy the process of letting go with the help of a guide. The results of mindfulness may block the effects of stress so that you can relax and fall asleep.
The Transcendental Meditation technique, once it is learned from a certified teacher, is a
Research indicates that the Transcendental Meditation technique results in the long-term elimination of stress that can be transformative to one’s life. The benefits of Transcendental Meditation go well beyond better sleep, providing comprehensive improvement in many health conditions, clarity of mind, and general well-being.
"Since the first session, I have experienced clarity of mind throughout the day and a complete sleep each night. I wake up refreshed!"
Susan, April 2023,
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There are 80+ TM Centres in the UK where you can learn to meditate, and realise your full potential.
By Michael Skoletsky, July 5 2024
References:
- Mind, How to cope with sleep problems(Accessed August 12 2024).
- Wallace RK. Physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation. Science 1970 167:1751-1754 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.167.3926.1751
- R. Jevning, R.K. Wallace, M. Beidebach, The physiology of meditation: A review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 16, Issue 3, 1992, Pages 415-424 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7634(05)80210-6
- Bujatti M, Riederer P. Serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine metabolites in Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Neural Transmission 1976 39(3):257-267 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01256514
- Jevning R, Wilson AF, Davidson JM. Adrenocortical activity during meditation. Hormones and Behavior 1978 10(1):54-60 https://doi.org/10.1016/0018-506X(78)90024-7
- Nestor MS, Lawson A, Fischer D. Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the transcendental meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: a parallel population study. PLoS ONE 2023 18(3):e0265046 http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265046
- Alexander CN, Swanson GC, et.al Effects of the transcendental meditation program on stress reduction, health, and employee development: A prospective study in two occupational settings,., Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, An International Journal, Volume 6, 1993 - Issue 3: 245-262 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615809308248383