Meditation for a Good Night's Sleep

By Faye Martins, CYT 500

Can participation in meditation sessions produce a good night's sleep? Many of us lead busy lives; so busy that sometimes it can be really hard to get something as simple as a good night's sleep. In fact, scientific research shows that about 10 to 15 percent of American adults have been diagnosed with insomnia. Other medical conditions such as chronic pain, severe anxiety or depression are typically key factors in insomnia sufferers. However, people with bad sleeping habits aren’t exactly insomniacs, but just haven’t gotten hold of a healthy sleeping routine. That being said, this certainly isn't an impossible thing to fix. Relaxation techniques involving yoga and meditation are an excellent and very popular way to relieve stress by calming the body and mind, ultimately improving quality of sleep and overall health.

Yoga helps to relieve stress in the body and mind, which can improve bad sleeping habits and decrease insomnia symptoms. Exercising regular yogic practices, such as asana practice or certain pranayama practice daily or at least a few times a week, can greatly improve quality of sleep over time. Asana practice involves deep breathing along with specific poses and balance techniques that require the use of different muscle groups, improving balance, flexibility, posture and strength. This yogic method relaxes muscles, releasing tension and improving blood circulation in the body and brain.

Pranayama focuses on the breath; deep breathing and focus on the breath eases the body’s mind and releases tension caused by stress and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation is a similar form of meditation, although this specifically focuses on one’s awareness of the present, experiencing the “right now” moment and maintaining calm, natural breathing. It increases your awareness of self, causing a shift of the mind from racing, emotional thoughts with a heightened awareness of the senses and current physical feelings. It encourages embracing the natural rhythms within our body rather than fighting against them helps restore a healthy sleep pattern.

Many yogic methods have one thing in common: Relaxation starts with the mind. Meditation allows us to take control of our minds and set aside the things that trigger our stress and anxiety, which is what keeps us awake at night. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will gradually teach you how to recognize stress and release it, simultaneously relaxing the muscles and releasing toxins. This will greatly improve overall quality of sleep in no time.

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