Why Sleep Is The Best Meditation

If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping or you’re currently finding it hard to get into a good sleep routine, then this may help you.

Sleep deprivation has a big impact on many areas of our life including our moods, our ability to focus, our decision making ability, and our overall mental performance. It’s also a huge contributor to making mistakes and is associated with higher stress levels, and greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Sleep And Happiness

When we work longer, switch off less and consistently push ourselves to prioritize other things in our life except for sleep, then not only are we depriving ourselves of much needed rest and recuperation time, we’re also going to have less happiness on our lives.

A recent study revealed that an extra hours sleep every day can do more for happiness than a $60,000 per year pay raise. What use is making more money if you’re too tired and worn-out to enjoy the fruits of your labor? If we’re not waking up naturally in the morning and bouncing out of bed feeling happy and ready to take on the day, then something is amiss.

Most people tend to sleep less than their body needs to rest and recharge fully. As this goes on day-after-day, week-after-week, and month-after-month, it takes a heavy toll on us to the point that for some the damage to their health, well-being, work performance, and relationships can be irreversible.

I know exactly how this feels because it happened to me for many years. My job at the time was extremely stressful and I would toss and turn for hours before I would  eventually fall asleep exhausted both mentally and physically. Then, when I was rudely awoken by my alarm in the morning, I would get up feeling just as tired and miserable as I went to bed.

What About Meditation For Good Sleep Habits?

It was at this time that I stumbled across meditation. I found that by meditating for 20 minutes as soon as I got home from work, that my mind slowed down and my body relaxed. I was using a progressive muscle relaxation technique to help get rid of any excess tension from my body and that seemed to work a treat.

It was then that I came to the realization that sleep is probably one of the most underrated health habits of all time. Only after a few days of getting a full 7 to 8 hours sleep each night I found that my mind got clearer, my moods improved, and everything felt lighter and easier to handle.

Just by waking up feeling refreshed each day, which I have done now for years, it has given me a completely new outlook on life. I since left my stressful job and went into business for myself, which I am deeply grateful for each day as it has given me a lifestyle that allows me to spend time on things that are most important in my life.

7 Tips For Getting A Good Nights Sleep

1. Make sure you have a comfy bed

2. Try and go to bed at the same time every night

3. Don’t look at any screens (TV, computer, tablet, mobile) for at least 1 hour before going to bed.

4. Set an alarm to go to bed, not to wake up. This may sound unusual, but once you are getting a full night’s sleep your body will naturally wake up on time.

5. Do a progressive relaxation meditation while laying in bed before falling asleep (it’s okay if you fall asleep during it).

6.  Keep your room dark and cool.

7. Don’t drink coffee or alcohol before bedtime.

Just by following these simple tips for getting a good night’s sleep you’ll soon find that you have an entirely new lease on both your work and personal life. Not only will it be easier for you to handle stress and get things done in a timely fashion, you’ll also enjoy enhanced creativity, more confidence, increased happiness and overall better mental and physical health and well-being.

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