Can Meditation Help You Sleep Better?

These days, many people find it difficult to get in a good night’s sleep. This lack of sleep can be dangerous because, as noted by the CDC, it can lead to occupational errors, industrial disasters, and motor vehicle crashes. Luckily, research studies are providing individuals with information regarding which strategies prove effective in helping people fall sleep. For example, new findings indicate that meditation can play a role in enhancing sleep. If you find sleeping well and in adequate amounts challenging, the information found below can help get you on the road to a more peaceful, rejuvenating resting cycle:

Mindfulness Meditation And Sleep: An Important Study

As noted in Harvard Health Publications, JAMA Internal Medicine published a study featuring 49 adults who had experienced difficulty sleeping. These individuals were middle-aged and older.

Man and Baby SleepingHalf of the study’s participants completed a mindfulness awareness program. The program taught them how to complete a form of meditation that involved focusing on moment-by-moment emotions, thoughts, and experiences. The other half of the participants took a sleep education class. The class provided them with strategies designed to improve sleep habits.

Each of the groups met once a week for two hours for a total of six meetings. At the end of the study, the individuals who completed the mindfulness program experienced less depression, fatigue, and insomnia than the people who participated in the sleep education group.

Why Does Mindfulness Meditation Work?

In considering the research findings of the study, Dr. Herbert Benson was not surprised. According to Benson, mindfulness meditation is known to create a relaxation response. This response incorporates a deep shift in the body, and the physiological effect is the opposite of the body’s stress response. The relaxation response is known to help with numerous ailments related to stress, some of which include high blood pressure, pain, and depression.

More About Mindfulness Meditation

Upon realizing that mindfulness meditation can play a central role in creating the relaxation response and thereby enhancing sleep, many individuals may want to know how to do it. The practice is simple and involves focusing in on the breath. While concentrating on the breath, you should bring your mind to the present moment without allowing your thoughts to drift into the future or the past. This form of meditation empowers individuals to break their daily thought patterns and create a feeling of relaxation.

Other Forms Of Meditation

Women is SleepingMindfulness meditation is not the only form of meditation that can be utilized to induce the relaxation response. You can also achieve it by choosing a calming focus such as your breath. Another calming focus would be the release of a monosyllabic sound like “Om.” You could also focus in on a positive word like “peace,” “love,” or “relax.” By repeating the words aloud or silently as you inhale and exhale, you can attain the profound sense of relaxation that helps you go to sleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Don’t Delay: Start Meditating Today!

If you have trouble sleeping and are seeking solutions that work, it’s important to know that research studies have demonstrated the power of mindfulness meditation. Specifically, this mode of meditation is known to promote feelings of calm and sleep by creating the relaxation response. Get started with this meditation practice today so you can get in more zzz’s tonight.

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