Sleep Better By Performing Meditation Daily

Sleep better by performing mediation daily. Research shows that sleep can be improved by more than 10 percent by a regular mediation practice in young and old people alike.

Meditation causes favorable chemical and architectural changes in the brain. It can also regulate the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, which governs release of cortisol and related adrenaline-like hormones, leading to better health and sleep.

Here are several types of meditation practices that have proven beneficial:

• Mindfulness mediation involves focusing on the breath and paying attention to the present moment while quieting your thoughts.
• Mantra mediation can help you focus your attention on a repeated phrase that is coordinated with your breathing.
• Loving kindness meditation involves a singular focus on feelings of love and compassion to all beings, and more locally on people/animals in your life.

How To Start Meditating

There are many tools, including books, classes, and apps that can help you get started, but really meditation is as simple as this:

Find a quiet place and make yourself comfortable. Start by focusing on your breathing, noting your chest or stomach as it rises and falls. Feel the air as it moves in and out of your mouth and nose. Listen to the sounds the air makes. Notice the other sounds around you. Do this for a minute or two, until you start to feel more relaxed.

Next, try closing your eyes, and follow these steps:

1. Take a deep breath in. Hold it for several seconds.
2. Slowly exhale and repeat.
3. Breathe naturally.
4. Observe your breath as it enters your nostrils, raises your chest, or moves your belly, but don’t alter it in any way.
5. Continue focusing on your breath for 5 to 10 minutes.

You’ll find your mind wandering, which is completely normal. Just acknowledge that your mind has wandered and return your attention to your breath.

As you start to wrap up, reflect on how easily your mind wandered. Then, acknowledge how easy it was to bring your attention back to your breath.

Bring a sense of purpose to your practice. Take it seriously and do it regularly. Write down on your calendar the days that you meditate and try to do it most days of the week. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Just get back to it on the next day.