Most of us would love to hit eight hours of good quality rest per night, but getting there is often easier said than done. Whether it’s money worries or other stresses keeping you up, there’s nothing more frustrating than tossing and turning until the early hours.
Sleep meditations can help set us up for sleep success, creating the right conditions for a truly restful night. These night-time sleep aids, which often come in the form of guided audio listens, can help train our minds to remain in the present, rather than worrying about what’s happened in the past or could unfold in the future.
While you should speak to your GP if you are worried about your sleep quality and quantity, here are some of our favourite YouTube sleep meditations to help encourage natural sleep.
1. The Honest Guys
This deeply relaxing recording, created by YouTubers The Honest Guys, reckons it can have you off to the land of nod in under 10 minutes. It begins with a short relaxation exercise led by a softly spoken male voice, followed by a sleep meditation that can help you drift off to the sound of lapping waves.
Read: Nine simple tips for when you can’t sleep
2. Five Minutes to a Deep Restful Sleep
Written and narrated by anthropologist Lauren Ostrowski Fenton, this soothing listen is great for people who can’t seem to switch off their brain at night. The guided meditation asks the listener to visualise putting all of their worries and issues outside a locked door, helping them to clear their mind before bedtime. It’s a simple but effective technique.
3. Celestial White Noise
White noise is a combination of sound waves that sound similar to the hum a fan creates when blowing air. It’s thought to aid sleep in two important ways: it can block distracting noises, and produces a sound at a soothing frequency that can help induce sleep. If you find the sound of sleep meditation voices distracting, this 10-hour video may help; it’s pure white noise, and nothing else.
Read: Is there a right position to sleep in?
4. Transition Into Sleep Faster
This Goop sleep meditation is a bit different to others we’ve tried. Instead of listening to it while you’re trying to get to sleep, the idea is you listen to it just before bed as a pre-sleep ritual. Austin-based yoga and meditation instructor Kate Waitzkin leads the listener through a cleansing breathing exercise that helps you settle your energy and let go of the stresses of the day.
Read: Meditation, a beginner’s guide to get you started
5. Gratitude Meditation Before Sleep
Studies have found that incorporating a regular gratitude practice into your life can help improve your mental wellbeing. This lovely 11-minute audio exercise helps you hone in on the parts of your life that make you happy, from wonderful memories with friends to the gift of good health. It’s an effective way to shift your mindset from overthinking to calm and contented bliss.
Have you tried meditating to improve your sleep? Do you prefer guided or unguided meditations? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
– With PA
