What is restorative sleep meditation?
Restorative sleep meditation focuses on enhancing relaxation and preparation for quality restorative sleep.
What is the intention of the practice?
To enhance awareness of tension held in the body and to systematically relax the body to prepare for sleep.
What are the benefits of restorative sleep?
Regular practice of restorative sleep meditation contributes to emotional and physical well-being including:
- Improved self-awareness
- Improved self-regulation and emotion regulation
- Improved sleep quality
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Reduced blood pressure
- Reduced pain
- Improved cognitive function: such as attention and memory
How do I start the practice ?
- The practice can be used before bedtime, or when you are experiencing challenges getting to sleep. The meditation can be practiced either lying down on a yoga mat for example: for comfort please use a light blanket or pillows. The practice can also be done in sitting in a comfortable position.
What are some tips?
- Close the eyes or have a soft gaze
- Deepen your inhalation and exhalation
- Bring awareness to the body
- Bring attention to any sensations, such as tingling, heat, coolness. Not noticing anything is also fine.
- If your attention wanders, notice this without judgement, then return you focus to your body. With regular practice focusing of the mind becomes more automatic.
At the end of your practice, being still for long periods can lead to low blood pressure, so get up slowly to avoid dizziness.
Should I develop a routine?
- Yes, having a routine will assist your practice becoming regular.
- Develop an evening practice: the room should be comfortable with reduced noise and dimmed lighting. Set a time aside to do your practice before the time you normally go to bed. A regular practice ensures that it becomes part of the daily sleep routine.
- Doing your practice in the same place, allows the brain to associate this location with your practice and assists your focus.
- Ensure you are comfortable in the position you choose and the temperature is optimum for you. You can use a blanket in winter for example, or a pillow for your head if lying down.
- You may wish to use a timer, particularly in the beginning. If you fall asleep, which sometimes happens, the timer will allow you to complete your practice
- Self-compassion: beginning a new practice takes effort, and meditation takes time to train your attention. Give yourself time and space to learn, and note, that perfection is not the goal.