Before I found Meditation, I was suffering from depression and sleep disorder. Also, I couldn’t control the negative thoughts and emotions to ruin my morning and make me demotivated and lethargic throughout the day.
But, since when I start practicing Meditation and Mindfulness, my life has changed radically.
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 50 million Americans suffer from 80 different sleep disorders, and another 20 to 30 million suffer intermittent sleep problems each year. Also, the future prediction of these problems is horrifying.
But, Don’t worry.
Because we have an antidote called Meditation which has the power to cure all these problems.
- Does Meditation Before Bed Good or Mot?
- 10 Reasons Why Meditation Is A Good Practice Before Going To Bed
- Guided Meditation Before Bed
- Should you Meditate when you wake up or before going bed?
- How many times a day should I meditate?
- Which Meditation technique is most beneficial before going to bed?
- Bottom Line
Does Meditation Before Bed Good or Mot?
Undoubtedly, Meditation is a good practice before going to bed because Meditation helps reduce mental turmoil, relieve physical stress, and provide a relaxed and peaceful mood that can easily put you asleep. Also, it may create a tranquil and soothing mood for the next morning.
According to an article published on Inc, 9 things successful people do right before bed, many successful people meditate 10 minutes before bed to relax their body and quiet their mind.
However, there are several researches done on Meditation and Mindfulness that show positive results on our brain functioning and overall well-being.
One study found that people who practiced Mindfulness Meditation experienced improved insomnia severity and stayed asleep longer than the control group.
Also, researchers concluded that mindfulness-based treatment is a viable option for adults with chronic insomnia and could provide an alternative to traditional treatments for insomnia.
However, there are several other benefits of Meditation that will help you improve the quality of sleep and overall well-being.
10 Reasons Why Meditation Is A Good Practice Before Going To Bed
Regular practice of Meditation before sleep helps to:
1) Cure sleep-related disorders
As we have discussed, many people have insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, excessive sleepiness, non-24-hour wake disorder, etc.
Researchers have performed many experiments to examine the effect of Meditation on sleep disorders, and they have found many satisfactory results.
According to a study published by JAMA international medicine in 2014 shows that 45+ aged adults who had trouble sleep problems experienced less insomnia, fatigue, and depression at the end of the six weeks of the mindfulness-awareness program.
Thus, practicing Meditation before bed could be beneficial for people who have these types of diseases.
2) Reduce Mental Stress
In today’s modern world, most people have become like a robot, they run from here to there and don’t spare any time for some headspace.
Due to this hectic life, they face many challenges which cause them stressed out, and they find it difficult to sleep.
However, it is possible to declutter our minds from stressful thoughts and find some headspace with the help of Meditation at night.
8-weeks Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on the health care professionals showed positive results on reducing psychological stress and improving the quality of their lives. (Source: APA PsycNet)
3) Control Anxiety
It’s obvious that once you become a victim of stress, anxious and depressive thoughts follow you naturally.
In the past few years, Meditation has become popular because many people benefit from overcoming their stress and anxiety.
Meta-analysis of 1300 adults highlighted that regular practice of transcendental Meditation reduces anxiety, and it was observed that transcendental meditation treatment is more effective than any other treatment of anxiety. (Source: Pubmed.ncbi)
4) Decrease depression
People who often suffer from anxiety or depression may not sleep well at night. For them, Meditation before bed could be a beneficial practice.
One review of 18 studies encompassing 7 distinct meditation therapies on 1173 patients concluded that meditation therapies reduce the symptoms of depression and have beneficial effects on patients suffering from clinical depressive disorders. (Source: NCBI)
5) Alleviate Negative Thoughts and Emotions
According to National Science Foundation, We have 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts daily, and unfortunately, 80% of our thoughts are negative.
These negative thoughts put us into hell by evoking negative emotions and consuming our vital energy.
You may somehow handle this negativity during your day, but It’s really difficult to let them go when lights off.
But, don’t worry, we have a remedy called Meditation for all such problems.
One study found that participants who practiced Meditation experienced fewer negatives in response to viewing negative images than the control group.
Thus, researchers concluded that Meditation or Mindfulness might attenuate thoughts that emphasize negativity but not those that emphasize positivity (Source: NCBI).
6) Cultivate Positive Emotions
Regular practice of metta (loving-kindness) Meditation arouses positive emotions such as love, compassion, and gratitude in your heart.
In loving-kindness meditation, you express gratitude and send positive sentiments to your acquaintances.
A meta-analysis of 22 studies found that loving-kindness meditation promotes compassion in people for themselves and others by enhancing peoples’ emotional health. (Source: Pubmed.ncbi)
Thus, Metta Meditation is the best way to cultivate positive feelings at night.
7) Reprogram your Subconscious Mind
You may have heard the power of your subconscious mind and its importance in accomplishing your goals.
In order to shape your subconscious mind, you have to use positive statements (affirmations) repeatedly.
If you repeat these affirmations at night in your meditative state, it can easily influence your subconscious mind and reprogram it to manifest your dreams.
8) Decrease Chronic Pain
People who are suffering from chronic pain may find it difficult to sleep at night. For them, Meditation practice could be very beneficial.
One review of 38 studies determined that mindfulness meditation reduces chronic pain symptoms and improves the quality of patients’ lives (Source: NCBI).
9) It Takes Only Few Minutes
In order to get these benefits, you just need to spare 5-15 minutes daily for meditation before going to bed.
However, you can meditate according to your ease of time. It is not necessary that you have to sit for 15-30 min. Or more to get more benefits.
If you just meditate daily for 3-5 minutes a day, then very soon, you are eligible for possible health benefits.
Here, the quantity of time spent is not so important as the quality of practice.
10) It Brings Positive Morning
You may haven’t noticed yet, but what you think at night, the same thought reflects first in the morning.
So, it’s important for you to cleanse your mind and fill it with positive vibes before going to bed. And for that, nothing is better than meditation.
Meditation before bed will bring positivity and tranquility in the next morning that may last for the whole day.
There were 10 possible benefits of Bedtime meditation. If you know more such benefits, then let me know in the comment section.
Now, Let me introduce some Free Bedtime Guided Meditation from YouTube.
Guided Meditation Before Bed
If you are new to meditation, then Guided Meditation is the best way to start.
You can follow guided instructions to make yourself relax and tension-free before bed.
1) Bedtime Meditation for Sleep and Anxiety
Duration: 15:09 min
Voice: Male
Artist: Bob Baker (He has a YouTube channel full of guided meditations, affirmations, and inspirational videos)
In this meditation, Bob will give you some stretching exercises and breathing practice which will release your worries, anxiety, and stressful memories and initiate you for sleep.
Also, with soothing background music, you may feel tension-free, relaxed, and peaceful.
To download this in mp3, visit Amazon.
2) Yoga Nidra – Guided Meditation for Sleep & Relaxation
Duration: 49 min.
Voice: Male
Artist: Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (He is a spiritual master from India and he teaches an Art of Living)
Meditation Theme: Yoga Nidra
To download this in mp3, visit Amazon.
Benefits: Provide quality rest in a short while, Initiate slumber
Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep,
In this meditation, you have to lay down on the bed and consciously direct your attention to different parts of your body.
Move your focus orderly from feet to head and sense the sensations happening on that part. Such practice provides mental and physical relaxation.
Regular practice of this will give a powerful rest to your body and mind compared to a power nap or sleep.
By the way, Yog Nidra is my favorite meditation, and I practice it to boost my energy level and for instant rest during the daytime.
Should you Meditate when you wake up or before going bed?
It would be best if you Meditate before bedtime and after waking up. Because Morning Meditation fills positivity and vital energy in you so your day can go well, while Meditation before bed relieves all-day stress and gives you a headspace for sleep.
See, instead of giving yourself choices, you should meditate daily in the morning and night, too; even a brief daily meditation may bring many positive changes in your life in the long run.
So, Both Morning and Night times are most suitable for Meditation. Also, if you have time in the evening, then you can meditate in the evening also.
Related Article: How to practice mindfulness throughout the day.
How many times a day should I meditate?
According to spiritual masters, we should meditate daily twice a day.
The best time for Meditation is when night turns to day (morning) and day turns to night (evening).
See, if you don’t have time to practice Meditation twice a day, then meditate at least one time a day.
Something is better than nothing, right? However, it’s all about priority. If you are really passionate about cultivating well-being, then you should prioritize Meditation.
Which Meditation technique is most beneficial before going to bed?
Actually, the Meditation which you like most and with which you are most comfortable is the most beneficial for you before bed. There is no such fit for all Meditation technique.
Some people like Guided Meditation, some like Mindfulness Meditation, and some may like visualization meditation, but, you have to find your best-fit Meditation technique in order to get most out of it.
If you haven’t found your best practice, then try different meditation techniques and see which one is most suitable for you.
Bottom Line
Meditation before bed is the most beneficial practice to relieve your physical strain and mental stress.
Also, Meditation before sleep helps to declutter your mind from anxious or depressive thoughts and provides tranquility and relaxation.
Many successful people have a habit of Meditation before going to bed.
If you are really passionate about cultivating well-being and improving brain functioning, then meditate regularly twice a day.
As shown above, there are many benefits of Meditation before going to sleep.
So, keep Meditating and enjoy your life.
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