Can You Meditate In Bed And How Does It Help Sleep?

Our 2024 Sleep Survey found 37% of us struggle to sleep because of stress and only 6% of us have consistent, quality sleep. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to improve your sleep quality – one of those being meditation for sleep. That’s because meditation and sleep fit together like a hand in a glove. And don’t just take our word for it, there’s plenty of research to show the positive link between the two. Here, we’ll discuss some of the science behind meditation as well as practical techniques. We’ll also provide resources to help you achieve the ultimate pre-sleep relaxation.

Here is our step-by-step sleep meditation guide, complete with our best meditation tips to help you get those forty winks:

Quietly move your attention from your breath to your surroundings. Keep your eyes closed but switch your focus to the sounds and smells of your environment. At this stage, also become aware of touch. Concentrate on how your body connects to the bed and the feeling of gravity pulling you down. Become aware of how your clothing and bed covers feel against your skin. While going through this process, keep your breathing natural and don’t worry about any thoughts which may stray into your consciousness.

Now’s the time to stop consciously meditating and reflect upon how the body feels. Before you drift off to sleep, become aware of how calm you feel. Granted, if you’re meditating right before sleep you may have already drifted off at this stage! If not, simply become grateful for the relaxation you have now achieved.

This technique involves repeating a particular sound to calm your body and quieten the thoughts buzzing about in your mind. Repetition of the mantra is thought to help you disconnect from distracting or stressful thoughts so that you can tune into your mind’s stillness and peace.

The word mantra has two parts: ‘man’, which is from a Sanskrit word for mind; and ‘tra’, the root of the word for instrument. Literally, mantra means ‘instrument of the mind’. Figuratively speaking, it means ‘revealed sound’. The most well-known mantra is, of course, ‘Om’ (or aum).

Not feeling ‘Om’? No problem. Let your mind decide which sound is most pleasing to you. Then repeat it until your thoughts seem quieter and you feel more at peace (and sleepy).

In the Buddhist tradition, the word Vipassana means ‘insight into the true nature of reality’. Essentially, this form of meditation consists of using self-observation to see things as they truly are. This means recognising both the desirable and undesirable elements of your true nature without passing judgement on yourself.

To try it, think about the activities of the day that may have been off-putting. Ask yourself: what about that occurrence made me uncomfortable or upset? What steps should I take to reconcile this occurrence within myself? How can I shed this feeling so that I can ‘leave it’ in today and not carry it over into tomorrow? Or, how can I react differently so as to not let it affect me as severely?

Being mindful and honest about your thoughts before you go to bed may allow you to release that stress and bring less of it into your sleep and the days that follow. This will help you both to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night, making you more able to effectively deal with stressful situations in the future, too.

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Other ideas to combat sleeping struggles include listening to music, using breathing techniques and drinking soothing decaffeinated herbal teas. You could even start a self-help routine by doing things like keeping a sleep diary, improving your diet, exercising, and establishing a good bedtime routine.

Will it really work?

Sleep meditation can be difficult. It takes time and practice to master, especially when working out what style you most enjoy. The important thing is not to give up and to keep trying. Thoughts and distractions may arise but just keep reminding yourself to focus on your breath.