Mindfulness Techniques to Help Sleep

Trouble sleeping? It happens to all of us! Here are some compassionate mindfulness techniques for sleep, designed to help you get more of the rest you need.

It’s not just you

Have you had periods of time where you sleep poorly? You aren’t alone. Search queries like “help me sleep” and “why can’t I sleep” have skyrocketed the past few years and continue into this year. It is estimated that 1 in 3 adults have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or sleeping at all. Which is to say: it’s very normal and you are not alone. But there are things you can do!

What can you do to sleep better?

We have some options that might help you get those much needed Zzz’s, from meditation and mindfulness to counting… gratitude.

Free Guided Sleep Meditation

Sometimes you just need a gentle presence to help guide you into sleep. For those moments, try our free, ten-minute guided sleep meditation. (And we also offer a free guided sleep meditation just for kids right here!)

Bedtime Meditations

Our founder’s book Eff This! Meditation: 108 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for When You’re Stressed Out, Anxious, or Overwhelmed has lots of simple meditations that are wonderful for bedtime.

If you own the book, we suggest checking out practices out #062: Body scan; #032: Make a “to-done” list; #045: Tense and relax; and #103: Sleep makeover.

If you don’t own the book yet (or prefer a guided version) try these free guided meditation videos: body scan and tense and release.

Recommended Book: Goodnight Mind

Goodnight Mind: Turn Off Your Noisy Thoughts & Get A Good Night’s Sleep is written by two psychologists who are experts in sleep disorders. Their insights are “grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)” which is a therapy widely known to be a successful alternative to sleep medication. We personally love and recommend Goodnight Mind!

Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine is not just for children, and can help our bodies and minds get prepared for sleep. A slow, loving, and personalized bedtime routine can help signal our brains that it’s time for some well-deserved rest. You can try including things such as:

Staying away from screens at least an hour before bed
Reading a book that doesn’t cause too much mental strain
Meditating
Keeping the lights down low post-dinner
Having a small cup of hot tea (soothing chamomile, lavender, or tulsi tea are great options)
Taking a bath
Lighting candles
Checking in about the day with a loved one who you trust

This is totally personal and you can experiment to see what works best for you. Whatever works is what works! Don’t stress out about doing all of these starting tonight; start with the ones that appeal to you most, and take it from there. Take it easy.

News Breaks

The news can be so overwhelming, especially right now. We understand the need to stay informed (we really do!) But we suggest thoughtfully managing the amount of news you consume and intentionally deciding when you want to take a look at the headlines and stories and for how long. If news notifications keep popping up on your phone, going into your device settings and turning them off can give you more peace of mind. Yes, we are living through history, and want to be ready to fight for what’s right. This is all the more reason to take good care of ourselves as we go–so we can conserve our energy for what matters most.

Gratitude Journal

When we discussed journal writing with our online community some people commented that they are in the habit of writing a few things they are grateful for right before bed. What a nice way to end the day, with gratitude in the heart! Take some time to see if this resonates with you, and see if incorporating this simple practice into your bedtime routine is helpful.

One of Liza’s personal favorite tricks when she wakes up stressing in the middle of the night is to start counting things she’s grateful for, backwards from 100. It’s like counting sheep, but for gratitude! (She’s never gotten below 92, so it must work.)

We know that a lack of good sleep can be really tough and we hope some of these ideas help.

💖 Sweet dreams! 💖