Do you find yourself struggling to sleep at night? Maybe you find yourself having a hard time falling asleep? Or do you find that you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to bed? Do you wake up feeling exhausted, as if you hadn’t slept at all?
A lot of us experience some form of sleep problem. We might even have experienced them for long enough to try techniques to help us sleep better. Some techniques might work better than others. One of them, called mindfulness, can help you sleep better in a variety of ways.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness, at its core, is something we all have: the ability to be present in our lives. When we are mindful, we are very aware of our immediate situation, barely sparing a thought to the past or future.
Mindfulness is something we all have, something we are all capable of, even though it might not seem like it at first. It’s something that takes some getting used to, but with practice, mindfulness will become easier and more beneficial.
The most common form of mindfulness is meditation. In cases of sleep trouble, you usually lie down and focus on your breathing, on deepening it and keeping it slow. The idea is to keep your mind clear of thoughts, but this is not easy, and if it happens to you, that’s okay. If you notice your thoughts have wandered, you don’t need to worry. This happens to the best of us. Simply divert your mind back to your breathing and continue.
Stops Worrying Thoughts
A big reason why most of us don’t find it easy to sleep is that, as soon as we lie down, we start thinking about everything we did wrong in the past and everything that could go wrong in the future. We can’t help but be sucked into that loop of worries, and before we know it, half the night has passed already.
Mindfulness can help stop these thoughts. It helps us recognise when we’re falling into that worry loop, and it helps ground us in the present. And when we let go of the loop, when we stop worrying about the past and the future all at once, we find it much easier to fall asleep.
If this is something you struggle with when it’s time to sleep, then it might be worth considering mindfulness as an option.
Helps Relax
The way mindfulness works helps you relax. From a physical viewpoint, it helps your body release the stress it holds. It forces you to breathe deeply and slowly, reducing your anxiety. Some studies even say mindfulness lowers your heart rate and maybe even your stress hormones. It makes you physically calmer, in a way that makes it easier to fall asleep.
Mentally, it shifts your thoughts away from your worries, which in turn also makes it easier to relax. The ability to leave your troubles aside for the moment and focus on getting your body to a relaxed state is what helps you sleep easier and better.
Sleep Better
Mindfulness is a great way to cope with difficulty sleeping, but if you find that it doesn’t help, or that it’s not enough, then don’t hesitate to seek out a professional. Trouble sleeping doesn’t appear out of nowhere. There’s usually a reason behind it. Whether you know what that reason is or not, a counselor can help you address the reason behind your poor sleep.
Mindfulness is helpful, but it will be more helpful in combination with counseling. If you’ve had trouble sleeping for a long time, then consider scheduling an appointment with us. Whatever it is you’re struggling with, we’re here to help.
