Do you struggle with insomnia? You’re not alone. Between 10% and 60% of adults live with chronic insomnia, which can seriously disrupt their sleep schedule and impact their overall quality of life. However, there’s no reason to suffer any longer with deep sleep meditation right at your fingertips.
Quiet your monkey brain and settle in for a good night’s sleep with the five best sleep meditations. They’ll help you fall asleep quicker and enjoy more restful Z’s so you can wake up feeling better than you did yesterday.
1. Five Minutes to a Deep Restful Sleep by Lauren Fenton
If you’re unfamiliar with meditation and haven’t tried it before, sitting still for even 10 minutes can be frustrating. Of course, getting upset at yourself isn’t helpful when you’re trying to fall asleep, which is why this 5-minute session is perfect for beginners.
Conduct a quick YouTube search, pop in some earbuds, and let anthropologist Lauren Fenton guide you through an ASMR-centered meditation. Listen to soothing sounds and visualize putting all of your worries behind a locked door. It sounds simple, but it’s highly effective and you’re sure to fall asleep in no time.
2. Floating Amongst the Stars by Jason Stephenson
If, on the other hand, you find a 5-minute too short, you can always listen to Jason Stephenson’s Floating Amongst the Stars. This 1-hour video is full of soothing sounds, including Jason’s voice and calming background music.
As the title suggests, this meditation will give you a sense of floating through space. Let the stars welcome you and release any pent-up tension and stress. Just don’t be surprised if you fall asleep before the video ends. Do you like this type of deep sleep meditation?
3. Hypnosis With Subconscious Programming to Fall Asleep by Nicky Sutton
Some people read a book or practice a chemical-free beauty routine to unwind each night. Others need something a bit more potent — like hypnosis meditation — to put them in a sleep mindset. Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is a safe, relaxing way to reprogram your subconscious mind and improve your quality of life or, in this case, sleep.
In this 1-hour, 16-minute video, Nicky Sutton’s soft voice will reset your mind and help you fall into a deep sleep. Tune into the first 18 minutes for a guided relaxation exercise. Then, let the next hour of affirmations hypnotize you into a better night’s rest.
4. Guided Meditation for Sleep and Healing by Meditation Vacation
Have you ever heard of binaural beats meditation? This technique uses background music with two tones of slightly different frequencies to slow brain activity and put you to sleep. Binaural beats can also raise sleep-promoting hormones and reduce pain perception that might be keeping you awake.
The scene of this meditation is the beach at night, an open fire, and the Aurora Borealis. Heal your mind and your sleep schedule by clearing negativity and finding a safe, positive place to fall asleep — on the beach under the stars.
5. Yoga Nidra for Sleep by Insight Timer
Unlike most types of yoga, yoga nidra encourages you to disengage entirely from your senses, just as you would while you’re asleep. Once physical sensations disappear, you can more easily focus on disengaging your mind. One study even found that listening to just 11 minutes of yoga nidra meditation can be enough to lower stress, increase well-being, and improve sleep quality.
First, download the Insight Timer app and find the Yoga Nidra for Sleep meditation session. Then, cue it up, pop in some earbuds, and lie down in whatever position is most comfortable to you. Let Jennifer Piercy guide you through a relaxation exercise to induce natural sleep and wake up tomorrow feeling more refreshed and rejuvenated.
Easing Into Sleep Meditation
Falling asleep whilst listening to a guided meditation may feel impossible the first few times, especially if you choose too long or short of a session. So don’t get upset if even the best meditations don’t put you to sleep right away. You might just need some time to get used to them.
Ease into sleep meditation with short sessions and try incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine. Eventually, your brain and body will become familiar with guided sleep meditations so you fall and stay asleep more often than not. I love these types of meditations and use them to help me fall asleep.
I hope you enjoyed reading about deep sleep meditation. Furthermore, please leave your thoughts and comments below. What did you think of this post? Did any of these meditations help you? Leave the names of any that helped you out below. We want to know! Finally, read some other articles like this one on our frontpage.
Jane is an environmental writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of Environment.co where she covers sustainability and eco-friendly living.