Mindfulness Series Part 3: Quieting the Mind for Sleep

"Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." -Thomas Dekker 

Mindfulness reduces stress in the mind and body, which can help one fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. 

Mindfulness aids in awareness and stress reduction during the day, but did you know it can benefit your sleep schedule just as much? 💤

The Research Behind Mindfulness For Sleep

Mindfulness for sleep helps with nervous system regulation, allowing you to feel calmer and more grounded before jumping into bed. It aids in things like:

🙂 More consistent mood

🌿 Lowering heart rate

🌅 Present awareness

🌺 Body’s sign to rest and recover, like proper digestion

Taking our bodies out of the “fight or flight” mode, and using mindfulness to gain more calmness can make a world of difference for our overall sleep! 🛏️ Waking up in the morning feeling more rested, and ready for our day. 

Some Common Sleep Mindfulness Techniques 🌙

🧘‍♀️ Body Scans are a way to reconnect with yourself by noticing sensations throughout your body without judgment - giving time and awareness to parts of our body that might do a lot for us throughout the day, and granting them the time to rest. 

Interested in a guided body scan to get started? Here’s two we love! 💬

Headspace Shut Down Video (about 2 mins)

Gratitude Body Scan with Jay Shetty (about 30 mins

A step up from body scans, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) 🧠 allows the body to squeeze certain muscle groups, and releasing that tension. PMR is great for deep relaxation, and overall body awareness before bed.

New to PMR? Try following these quick and easy steps to guide you through your first PMR! 🌚

There are also a plethora of other mindfulness resources for sleep, that don't include awareness of the body. 🌜 You can use apps like Insight Timer, Calm, Headspace, or even Youtube to find meditations for sleep that are catered to your specific bedtime needs. 😴

The use of sound bowls in guided mediation to further relaxation is

Curating the Perfect Night Time Routine with Mindfulness 🛌 💤

To create the “perfect” bedtime routine, you first need to find out what feels like “perfect” to you! 🕯️ Sleep habits and patterns are different from person to person, there is never an universal perfect recipe! 

The use of self reflection 🤔 - identifying what works (and more importantly, what doesn't work) will allow you to set up your sleeping routine to be catered to you. Start adding some awareness to your nights, try out a few meditations or videos, and adapt your nights to your needs!