Better sleep using meditation & mindfulness

Evidence suggests that good sleep correlates with good overall health – both in a physiological and psychological sense. Insufficient sleep contributes to a significant deterioration in a person’s capacity to function to the required level in everyday life, especially if this occurs over a sustained period of time. Statistically speaking, the shorter a person’s sleep over a lifetime, the higher their likelihood of developing common causes of illness and even death. Conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, dementia, and cancer are all commonly associated with chronic sleep deficiency.

Mental ill-health is especially linked to a lack of sleep, not only in terms of contributing to underlying conditions like depression, anxiety and psychosis, but also as a reoccurring symptom of these mental disorders. Even a modest reduction in sleep can soon result in a wide range of adverse brain effects, as well as a surge in stress hormones, both of which leaves people more prone to emotional dysregulation. In view of this, the importance of effective techniques that promote longer and deeper sleep is important for overall health.

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

According to a sleep survey by YouGov, over a third of adults are not getting enough sleep each night. Among this cohort, stress (particularly regarding finances) has been cited as a common cause of their insomnia, which consists of difficulties falling and staying asleep through the night. Affected individuals experience even more stress the morning after, mainly due to the impact of tiredness on their bodies and brains, culminating in irritability, anxiety, and low mood. Avoiding these mental health effects requires an adult getting around 7-8 hours of sleep per night (NB: children and the elderly require slightly more and less than this estimate, respectively). Added up over a lifetime, this means we are meant to be asleep for around a third of lives. Despite this, just over a half of the population report getting this amount of sleep per night, with men are more likely than women to report sleep satisfaction. The same applies to the elderly over the young.

Ethnic minorities and people living in social deprivation also report increased difficulties with sleep, which research has found to be a cause of heightened exposure to overcrowding and noise, light and air pollution, as well as repeated experiences of stress (especially financial).

Why is Sleep Important?

During sleep, our bodies undergo a range of biological processes that restores health, promotes immunity, consolidates memory, repairs muscle tissue, and improves psychological functioning. Our sleep consists of two phases: non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Typically, a full-night’s sleep starts with 3 consecutive stages of non-REM sleep, followed by one final stage of REM sleep. Collectively, these four stages resemble a normal “sleep cycle”, with people usually completing around 5-6 cycles per night. During non-REM sleep, the body progressively drifts from light to deep sleep, during which a slowing down of brain waves, muscles activity, and heart rate occurs, all which allows the whole body to fully rest and recharge. Hormonal shifts during this phase also helps the body fight off infection, as well as repair muscle via the release of growth hormone, which reaches its peak during the deep sleep. Research is still in its infancy when it concerns the brain functions of non-REM sleep, but there is good data indicating that non-REM sleep is a period where newly acquired experiences become long-term memories. Evidence also suggest brain cleanses itself of waste products that have built up during the day.

REM sleep is the last stage of the sleep cycle. During this time, underneath a person’s eyelids, rapid eye movement (hence the name “REM-sleep”) can be observed, with the eyes darting from side to side in a continuous motion, which suggests the person is dreaming. This period lasts anywhere between 10-60 minutes. The function of REM-sleep is not entirely clear, but early evidence suggests it is especially important for processing experiences, particularly those of a distressing nature. As such, REM-sleep is thought to be essential for emotional regulation, which is supported by plenty of survey data on how sleep deprivation negatively influences people’s moods and stress levels. This explains the reason why people feel better about something after a good night’s sleep. REM-sleep is also believed to support creativity and problem-solving, mainly through the brain making connections between neural networks it perhaps would not make during wakefulness, which dreaming may facilitate.

Experts agree that both non-REM and REM sleep are essential to both physical and mental health. Without this, human beings quickly and noticeably deteriorate. Therefore, it is vital that a person gets enough sleep each night, with minimal disturbances so as to not disrupt the restorative effects of each sleep cycle.

Meditation as a Tool for Sleep Satisfaction Sleep deprivation is never good for the body, especially the brain. Implementing health-promoting routines during the day and in the build-up to bedtime is essential, which includes regular exercise, avoidance of caffeine in the afternoon, and maintaining a balanced diet. It also includes limiting our exposure to artificial light (especially smartphones) in the last hour before we go to sleep. Having well-established times to wake up and go to bed at also helps to stably set our “circadian rhythm”, which is our internal body clock that governs the release of hormones responsible for both wakefulness and sleep.

That said, however, these techniques are often insufficient when dealing with sleep deprivation caused by stress, which can contribute to sleepless nights, even when a person is physically exhausted. This is because stress floods the body with chemicals (e.g. adrenaline, cortisol, norepinephrine, etc.) that prevent the body and especially the brain from switching-off.

For this, restfulness can be achieved via lowering stress levels in the body, which is something meditation can do for people with stress-induced insomnia. Meditation is one way of doing this and consists of focusing the mind to achieve a state of calmness and clarity, thereby counteracting stress. It primarily does this by redirecting the mind away from distressing thoughts and towards inner biological processes occurring in the here-and-now, especially breath, which serves as a grounding mechanism.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation, as it is often called, anchors attention on the rhythm of breath as we inhale and exhale in a controlled and calm manner, preferably in an atmosphere of undisturbed silence. During this meditation, the mind will wander off track, which we will notice, without judgement, whilst bringing it back into focus. This technique, patiently applied over several minutes, can be practiced in bed to induce what scientists call a “relaxation response”, which sees the body drift from a state of alertness to one of restfulness, thereby preparing the body for sleep.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditation might be a better place to start for beginners, who may experience difficulty refocusing their attention. This type of meditation consists of a person listening to an audio recording a someone guiding them through the process of meditation, which includes how to adjust, and focus on, breathing, as well as how to work through drifting thoughts and acknowledge physical sensations. Another form of guided meditation entails an audio recording that takes the listener on a visual journey in their minds, which elicits calmness via a person's imagination. This meditation can be practised in bed, perhaps using a smartphone, to soothe the mind and ease the body into the first stage of non-REM sleep. Guided meditations for sleep can also be found on the Wisdom app, alongside a plethora of other resources to promote sleep satisfaction.

Body Scan Meditation

Another form of meditation that prepares the body for sleep is body scan meditation, which involves deep breathing whilst focusing the mind one body part at a time, starting from the head down or the toes up. The purpose here is to notice any tension in each body part and letting that tension go via deep breathing, loosening the muscles, and adjusting the body. This technique has a grounding effect on the body and focuses the mind on something soothing. Body scan mediation can be practised in bed with or without guided meditation, which research suggests helps people with insomnia to fall asleep quicker.

Other Benefits of Meditation

Although meditation has been shown to support with sleep satisfaction, its uses go far beyond this to encompass a wide range of benefits, which research has shown to include:

• Better self-awareness

• Lower blood pressure

• Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease

• Improved memory

• Expanded focus and attention

• Alleviation of depression and anxiety

• Prevents burnout

• Reduced the risk of neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. dementia)

• Management of chronic pain conditions

• Raised empathy and connection to others

• Reduces frequency of panic attacks

It should also be noted that, unlike medication for insomnia, meditation entails virtually no risk of harm to the individual, especially in the form of side effects. Moreover, it is entirely free and can be practised by any demographic group in society.

Conclusion

According to ‘sleep scientist’, Matthew Walker, “sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day”. For him, the shorter you sleep, the shorter your probable lifespan; hence the importance of using tools like meditation to promote longer and deeper sleep, every night. If you need support with issues related to sleep, please reach out to a counsellor at HA | Wisdom Wellbeing via live chat, online video, or the helpline, who will provide expert, instantaneous advice, guidance and signposting at any time of the day or night.