Mindfulness to sleep better

Insomnia is debilitating and not nearly as harmless as some people think. This is because you fail to get the minimum number of hours of sleep per night you need because you either don't sleep at all or it takes far too long to fall asleep. The result? Problems concentrating during the day, a bad mood and, as a result, problems at work or in your relationship.

Reducing or remedying insomnia should therefore be a priority. That's why in this article Edwin Selij discusses how mindfulness helps you sleep better. Edwin is the founder and owner of Hypnosis Institute Netherlands and has previously provided a guest blog for House of Sleep. He recognizes the importance of healthy sleep and is always looking for natural ways to improve your sleep within his expertise.

MINDFULNESS FOR SLEEP PROBLEMS

More and more people are suffering from insomnia. As a result, the need for a solution to this problem is increasing. Therefore, the effect of mindfulness on insomnia is also being investigated.
The current treatment for insomnia is mainly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This involves teaching behaviors that promote sleep, such as better sleep hygiene.

Specifically, this means avoiding caffeinated drinks after noon and, starting several hours before you go to sleep, dimming the lights and no longer using light-emitting screens such as television, tablets or smartphones. Also, make sure you sleep in a completely darkened bedroom.

AWAY WITH THE FEELING OF RESTLESSNESS

Back in 2007, it was investigated whether it helps to reduce insomnia by adding mindfulness to cognitive behavioral therapy with sleep hygiene and thus also better functioning during the day. That study found that people with insomnia could effectively improve their sleep rhythms by applying mindfulness.

In addition, mindfulness significantly improved the feeling of restlessness before bedtime. This is important, because those who suffer from insomnia undoubtedly recognize the feeling of anxiety that creeps up on you before bedtime causing you to become active just when you should be going to sleep. With that anxiety, non-constructive thoughts also often rear their head, such as the "I can't get to sleep again" thought. That too is largely negated by mindfulness.

The more mindfulness exercises were performed by the subjects, the better they slept. The reason why mindfulness works for sleep disorders can be found in the fact that mindfulness is relaxing. Not surprisingly, mindfulness is also very effective for those who suffer from stress or psychological anxiety. And because mindfulness reduces muscle tension; you also become more physically relaxed.

MINDFULNESS SLEEP EXERCISES

I like to share with you in this article what mindfulness exercises the subjects performed that improved their sleep quality. The gist? Letting go. But hold off on that until you're done with these mindfulness exercise tips 😉.

LET GO OF THE THOUGHT THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY DOWN

Do you find yourself forcing yourself to stay in bed after 20 minutes despite not getting to sleep? Break through the thought that you absolutely must stay in bed and leave your bed to apply mindfulness meditation for a while. By the way, with mindfulness you also learn to accept things as they are, for example that you don't always fall asleep immediately. The mindfulness exercise brings you completely into the here and now and you will soon get into bed completely relaxed. You have broken through the negative pattern and restlessness and are ready to go to sleep.

MINDFULNESSDURING THE DAY FOR A BETTER NIGHT

By setting aside a total of 30 minutes during the day for mindfulness, you will be better equipped to deal with the restlessness that may creep up on you during the sleep ritual later on. You do not build up stress and start your night relaxed. For example, you can choose mindfulness walking or mindfulness eating, or also a body scan. Either way, you'll get to half an hour effortlessly if you make it a regular routine.

MINDFULNESS YOGA WITH MODIFIED POSES FOR SLEEP

The great thing about mindfulness yoga is that you don't have to perform the poses perfectly. The essence is that you relax. Thanks to mindfulness yoga you will relax and strengthen the contact between body and mind. Below we give you some excellently suited exercises that are ideal for bedtime.

The Staff

The staff is a pose that can be performed simply in bed. Lie on your back with your arms along your body and your palms down. Then do your legs straight up. Do you find that difficult? Then you can also do this exercise against the wall. Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds and then relax further.

Knee to the chest

Are you done with the staff? Then you can seamlessly move on to the next exercise. Bring your knees to your chest and move your feet toward your buttocks. If you like, you can also fold your arms around your legs. You are now lying in a kind of fetal position, which gives you a very secure feeling. Again, hold this pose for about 30 to 60 seconds and, above all, try to relax. The goal is not that you make yourself as small as possible, but rather that you feel comfortable.

Forward bending

Turn around and sit on your bed with your legs stretched out. Then bend your upper body forward and try to touch your toes. Only come up to your knees? That's okay, too! Your goal is not to perform the pose completely perfectly, but to feel a small stretch in your hamstrings and in your back and relax properly. Does it feel painful? Then perform the pose less advanced.
Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds.

Child pose

In the child pose, you are on your knees. Try to keep your buttocks above (or on) your feet while extending your hands and arms in front of you. This puts your face against or near your mattress. You will feel this stretch in your lower back and at your shoulders and arms. It is especially important to be aware of your breathing and feel the pose in your body without forcing your body to perform the pose perfectly. You also hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
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Sitting meditation

The perfect time for seated mindfulness meditation? When the TV is turned off and the laptop is set aside. Sit down and plant your tail bone on the chair. Then feel how your spine stacks up on top of the base of your tail bone. Rest your hands on your lap.

Do you feel your chin move forward a bit? That's perfectly normal; leave that alone. You choose whether to close your eyes or keep them partially open.

Shift your focus to your breathing. Let thoughts and emotions come to mind. Name the subject of your thoughts and the emotion you feel with them. For example, are you thinking about a conversation at work and feeling irritated about it? Then say "work" and "irritation" and then shift your focus back to your breathing.
You can do this exercise as long as you like. On average, a sitting mindfulness meditation lasts between 5 and 10 minutes. Know that the more often you do this, the less you will be distracted and the more you will find peace.

Do you have questions about how mindfulness can help you with sleep problems? Ask them! Edwin is happy to answer your questions and, more importantly, very knowledgeable. By sharing this article, you are helping to highlight mindfulness as a means to better sleep. Your sleepless friends will thank you for it.