Getting good sleep is a major contributor to longevity, happiness and productivity. Yet it's not so easy to fall asleep when your thoughts are racing or you're experiencing anxiety about the next day.
Meditation can be a great way to calm your mind and prep your body for sleep. In a recent episode of the podcast "Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris," Jeff Warren, a meditation instructor and author, led an eight-minute meditation for sleep.
"The body knows how to fall asleep, but sometimes the mind gets in the way," says Warren in the episode.
Here are the steps that you should take.
Use this 3-step meditation to fall asleep in under 10 minutes
1. Start with an easy-going attitude
Aim to be as relaxed as you can after you get in bed, Warren suggests. Skepticism can prevent the meditation from working, so open yourself up to the process.
"The more uptight you are, the harder this is going to be," says Warren.
2. Pretend that you're falling asleep
Mimic the way people breathe when they're sleeping by having an even rhythm of breathing in and out. Some people sleep with their mouth slightly ajar, and if that's something you typically do, consider doing it during the meditation.
Maybe even think about how you'd try to trick someone into thinking that you're asleep if they were watching you. "What would you do in your face and your body and your breath to be completely convincing here?" Warren asks.
3. Follow the body down into sleep
At this stage, you may start to notice images popping into your head, says Warren. Avoid thinking about them too much, he adds, and just "let them take you where they take you."
During this last step, it's important to "let yourself drift, and your attention [and] your mind drifts with you," says Warren. To fall asleep, he encourages you to have "no resistance to the body and the mind [and] completely surrender to the process."
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