We will take a look at how people who have insomnia can use meditation to achieve sleep. You may be surprised to be one of the lucky people who get a great deal of sleep as compared to others. Approximately 25% of Americans have insomnia, but according to the most recent research, only about 75% of them recover without feeling the effects of inadequate sleep patterns or chronic insomnia. Worldwide studies indicate that one in every five people has insomnia as well.
Insomnia is easily the world’s most common sleeping disorder. Insomnia is the inability to stay or fall asleep even when presented with the opportunity to do so. Victims are prone to experience fatigue, concentration difficulties, decreased output, and mood swings.
The type of insomnia one has is distinguishable from the duration it lasts. Acute insomnia occurs for a short period, such as when it is caused by everyday circumstances of life. For example, when you are about to go on a big trip, and you are full of excitement, you might have some difficulty sleeping. The same goes for other significant situations that crop up with everyday life. Eventually, this sleep disruption meets exhaustion and resolves itself without treatment.
On the other hand, chronic insomnia is a sleep disruption that occurs three nights every week for up to a three-month duration. Respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea and asthma, pain, anxiety, depression, menopause, urinary incontinence, and acid reflux are some of the underlying causes of chronic insomnia. Some medications and lifestyle patterns may also step in the way of your sleep, driving you to chronic insomnia. Insomniacs do rest, but the quality of the sleep they get is so low.
In this article, there are different meditation for insomnia practices that can help you achieve your desired sleep cycle.
Different Types of Meditation for Insomnia
Are you tired of staring at the ceiling or watching your watch clock by as you wait to sleep? Insomnia is one of the most annoying uninvited guests. It may develop the habit of overstaying, leaving you to be its prisoner for an unspecified period. However, if you are tired of gazing at the ceiling every night and want to do something about it, here are a couple of meditation techniques that prove to beat insomnia:
Talking to Oneself
Holding a conversation with yourself is probably one of the most underrated methods one can use to fall asleep. Most people associate talking to themselves with being given names like ‘crazy’ or ‘geek,’ but this simple practice can change your sleep patterns for the better.
Insomniacs are good at hurling negative things their way. Some get to the point of harming themselves because they are so angry with themselves for not being able to sleep. Paradoxically, insomnia tends to feed on the criticism one gives to self. Not everyone gets to the point of inflicting physical harm to himself or herself. Sometimes, the brain fills with negative chatter and questions that only harm sleep progress.
Offer yourself calming words of appreciation and understanding during this time as you talk to yourself. Apply words like “I am sure I can do this” or “It may take some time, but it will work out eventually” or “Everything will be better with persistence.” These positive statements aim to reduce any negative feelings and those of anxiety to achieve sleep. Negative thoughts will only be a cause for more stress, which following builds up to fear or even panic attacks.
Guided Deep Sleep Meditation Hypnosis
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with deep sleep hypnosis techniques, considering how important sleep is for our daily functioning. A healthy mind is a wealthy mind. Without a proper good night’s sleep, you are bound to run out of energy. Since 50% of the world suffers from insomnia, I would like to share some guided deep sleep meditations with You:
Use of Mantras
Developing a mantra can act as an excellent tool to achieve mental clarity while setting your attention on a given phrase. While addressing the issue of mantras, many people form an associative link with yoga and meditation. They are usable in many more scenarios besides the mentioned ones. The aim of using mantras is to ensure your mind has no room for other thoughts since insomniacs tend to constantly battle fleeting memories.
Even on the occasion that you do not fall asleep, you will be able to notice your mind will be quieter. It means your account will eventually end up resting some of its regions, giving it a little physical rest. If you are lying comfortably, this will restore your body to some extent.
Although most of the original mantras appeared in Sanskrit, they come in different forms. To keep yourself concentrated, always choose a simple mantra. The following guidelines can help you come up with a good one:
It should be clear with simple wording.
It should be concise to avoid you from thinking about the process.
It should have a calming effect.
It should have a positive tone.
When reciting a mantra, your only concern should be saying it internally as you lie down in a comfortable position. Avoid any situations that will lead to twiddling, as this will only reverse your efforts. Try to lie still and breathe as you recite it. Again, if your mind starts racing, refocus your attention back to the mantra.
Visualization
Instead of spending most of your time thinking about your stressful day or you’re after the exam or meeting, try display. It can be an excellent practice to help you unwind and fall asleep easily by focusing your attention on calming and soothing images.
Imagine yourself in a place where you experienced a deep sense of calm. Feel free to make your imagination wild. Imagine yourself on your way to that place again, and it will be a better experience than you had the earlier time. Making your imagination as detailed as possible should be one of your prime goals. What time is it? What kind of clothes are you wearing? What can you see along the way? Keep at it until you sleep.
This method can also be advantageous when one decides to use guided meditation for insomnia. Most scripts require you to imagine a calming scene, and if you are good at it, you are halfway there.
Counting Backwards
Counting forward is so easy. You can probably do it while asleep. If counting from 100 seems a bit difficult for you, you can always start from 50 or 70. Make sure you restart when your mind drifts, and you lose track. Do not take it too seriously that you beat yourself up when you lose count. It is just a casual exercise. Nobody is watching.
Mindful Body Scan
This type of meditation for insomnia is straightforward to perform. Conveniently, it can happen as you lie in bed. Rumour has it that it is one of the most popular techniques used by people from the military to achieve sleep.
A body scan involves paying attention to different parts of your body and releasing the tension that has accumulated. A top to bottom approach (or vice versa) usually characterizes it where you can choose to either start from the tip of your head or your feet. The goal is to work your way to the opposite end while releasing tension from each muscle. The duration to do this can vary depending on the severity of insomnia. Whatever happens, focus on your muscles, and keep releasing the tension.
