Sleep, insomnia, and meditation

The most commonly asked question on the Sleep Forums is probably "what can I do to sleep better?" People usually mean that they have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, or waking up too early. Usually they ask because they don't want to take a sleeping pill such as Ambien. Often the questioner wants a non drug therapy or a natural supplement.

Most of us answer that the best method for improving sleep is "cognitive behavioral therapy," or CBT. CBT can be accomplished with a one-on-one therapist or through an on-line site called cbtforinsomnia.com. You can read about it on the Revolution Health pages and try some of the advice on your own.

CBT has several components, but one of them is some sort of relaxation practice or meditation practice. Today, I want to talk about these a little bit, and give some links to CD's that teach meditation, relaxation, or mindfulness techniques.

Regular practice of a relaxation technique is one way to reduce the body's response to stressful life events. A lot of people seem to think that it is a method to get you back to sleep, but this is not really true. Practicing regularly during the daytime can prevent some of the physical changes in the nervous system that perpetuate stress-related conditions such as insomnia and headaches. It might seem strange, but spending 20 minutes relaxing in the morning or during work can help your sleep at night.

A lot of people with insomnia are more fearful of the fear of not sleeping than they are about not sleeping itself. Some people just really hate being awake at night, but accepting this and realizing that it is normal to be awake at night to some degree is essential to long-term improvement of insomnia. For those people who become impatient, frustrated, anxious, or even angry about insomnia, a mental relaxation technique during the night can fill the time and prevent undue bodily responses that make getting back to sleep impossible.

-- Try The Program And Sleep Early Tonight! --