Sleeping Mindfully: A Guide to Cultivating Tranquility for Restful Nights

Hey guys, it’s Penny here. My mindful series is continuing non-stop, and I’m here with another post about mindfulness.

I recently decided to write a post about mindfulness's effect on sleep and insomnia, as I experienced restless nights due to rumination and thoughts that were racing through my mind nonstop and therefore disallowed me to sleep.

Ever since I used some mindfulness techniques for my bedtime routine, my life has definitely changed. Here are some tips on how you can achieve a good night's sleep.

Body Scan Meditation: 

While lying down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus your attention on different parts of your body, starting from your toes and gradually moving up to your head.

Pay attention to any tension or discomfort, and try to release it as you scan each body part.

Examining Your Breath: 

Whenever you are stressed, turning your attention to your breath shifts your focus to here and now and, therefore, reduces your stress levels. Simply examine how your breath flows in your body. Focus your attention on the sensation of your breath to anchor your mind and calm your nervous system.

 No Screens Before Bed: 

This is what I assume most of us are guilty of! Looking at your screen before you go to bed is not good for your quality of sleep. The blue light that you emit from your phone or your laptop screen affects the oscillation of melatonin and therefore interferes with your circadian rhythm. That’s why you should try to avoid screens at least an hour before you go to sleep.

Awareness of Thoughts:

It’s normal for our minds to jump from thought to thought when we lay down and close our eyes in order to sleep. When a thought feels overwhelming, you can try to observe it as a cloud in the sky, without any judgment. This will soon prevent your mind from racing with anxiety.

Box Breathing:

Breathwork is definitely a life-changing and essential part of any mindfulness practice, and this is one of my favorite breathing techniques. I usually do it if I feel like I can’t calm down or right before bed. It’s very simple, yet effective. All you have to do is breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, and then let it out until 4.

Listen to your body: 

This is something I started to do recently. If my body signals rest, I don’t push it any longer and go to bed, even though the time might be early, etc. If I feel like drinking herbal tea in order to wind down, I try to do it.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine: 

Choose to do activities that are calming before you go to sleep. This could be listening to classical music, reading a book, doing meditation, journaling, or taking a nice hot bath.

Make sure you keep in mind that consistency is essential in order to see the full benefits of mindfulness. Try implementing these techniques into your life, and in the meantime, you’ll see how it changes your sleeping habits!

Let me know which ones you are planning to apply to your bedtime routine!

Until the next post,

Penny x