Do you try to practice good sleep hygiene but still struggle to fall asleep? Do you feel like your mind is still racing all night long? Consider incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your nightly routine to help calm your mind for a restful night.
What is mindfulness?
The practice of mindfulness allows us to focus on our ‘present being’ – awareness, sensing and feeling in the moment without judgement or interpretation. It often involves breathing methods, guided imagery and/or meditation to promote a state of calm and relaxation, and to reduce stress, thereby creating the ideal mental environment for a peaceful, uninterrupted slumber.
Here are some mindfulness practice tips to help you prepare for better sleep.
Create a comfortable space and environment
Remove all distractions from your room or meditation area, including your phone or other devices. Find a quiet space and a comfortable position to sit or lie down for at least 3-5 minutes. You can enhance a calming environment in your room by using aromatherapy with calming essential oils such as lavender, marjoram, chamomile, sandalwood and rose geranium in a diffuser.
Take magnesium for muscle relaxation
Include a magnesium supplement in your nightly routine approximately one hour before your bedtime. Magnesium helps to promote muscle function and relaxation, which will help prepare your body for sleep. Magnesium Sleep by Nutra-Life also includes herbal ingredients passion flower, ziziphus and corydalis to promote and support better sleep. Always read the label and follow directions for use. If you are taking other medications consult your WholeLife pharmacist, who can assist you to find a supplement that is appropriate for you.
Drink a warm beverage
A cup of warm milk or non-caffeinated herbal teas can be soothing and can help calm your body into a restful state at night. Organic Night Time Tea by XO Tea contains a blend of apple, chamomile, cassia, lemon verbena, linden leaf, lavender chicory root, nutmeg, valerian root and hops leaf, to help switch off your mind and relax into the twilight.
Complete a guided mindfulness meditation.
If you are new to mindfulness and meditation, try an app to guide and help you practice these techniques until you are confident and comfortable to meditate by yourself (unguided). These apps offer guided programs to help you learn breathing techniques, guided imagery, and other methods of meditation that help with sleep, anxiety, goal-setting and focus. Popular apps include:
We hope you found these tips helpful and motivating to explore the art of mindfulness meditation. Practicing mindfulness meditation can also benefit your mental wellbeing by helping to reduce stress, and managing symptoms of anxiety. Mindfulness for a restful night is most likely to be effective when completed alongside other sleep hygiene habits.
Visit your nearest WholeLife Pharmacy and Healthfoods store to speak with our friendly pharmacists to discuss any concerns regarding your sleep and any suitable products that may help improve your sleep quality. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
References
Calm (2023) ‘5 ways to improve your sleep with mindfulness practices’ <https://www.calm.com/blog/5-ways-to-improve-your-sleep-with-mindfulness-practices>.
Harvard Health Blog (2020) ‘Mindfulness meditation helps fight insomnia, improves sleep’ <https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-helps-fight-insomnia-improves-sleep-201502187726>.
Headspace (n.d.) ‘Meditation for sleep’ <https://www.headspace.com/meditation/sleep>.
Sleep Health Foundation (2024), ‘Mindfulness and Sleep’, <https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/mindfulness-and-sleep>.
Smiling Mind Blog (2021) ‘5 Steps To A Better Night’s Sleep’, <https://blog.smilingmind.com.au/5-steps-to-a-better-nights-sleep>.