Sleep is a natural, restful state we need to rejuvenate our bodies and minds. Without rest we risk burn out. Meditation can help enhance and improve your sleep.
No surprise—sleep is enormously beneficial for both our physical and mental health. Physically, getting an adequate amount of sleep keeps our nervous and immune systems functioning properly. According to the American Sleep Association, this means that too little sleep can result in worse memory, impaired physical performance, mood swings, poor concentration, and decreased social functioning. Olivia Judson’s article from The New York Times (Listen. Relax. Sleep Can Boost Your Immunity) points out that sleep is one of the most effective ways to battle infection.
Especially important is REM sleep, the stage of sleep in which we primarily dream. During REM sleep, the brain regions used in learning are stimulated, and so when we get enough of it, our learning and memory are enhanced. When we don’t, we might perform worse at work or school, struggle more with identifying and managing our emotions, and struggle to keep our focus.
When we do get enough sleep, our brains work quicker and more accurately, as Amerisleep points out. We tend to be healthier and less stressed. We can work harder, exercise longer, think deeper, and feel happier when we’re well-rested. What’s not to like about that?
Improving Sleep
Meditation is certainly one clinically-proven way to improve sleep. It primarily works to counter our anxiety and racing thoughts. Stress, which keeps many of us up at night, can be reduced through meditation and breathing exercises. Learn more about Breathing.
Try meditating just five to ten minutes before bed each night. This relaxes your muscles, calms your minds, and promotes peaceful sleep. To let go of worry, allow your thoughts to float and disperse freely, or embrace gratitude for the people or qualities in your life that give you joy.
Harvard’s Mental Health Letter additionally has some suggestions for improving sleep. Lifestyle changes are perhaps one of the most impactful changes we can make. Ditching caffeine (or limiting it to the daytime) and taking part in regular aerobic exercise are both effective. (Of course, exercise is generally energizing, so it’s not a good idea right before bed.) We can also improve our sleeping environment—for example, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, keeping the bedroom dark and distraction-free, and keeping the bed itself work-free. Some people might even need “sleep retraining;” that is, staying awake for longer periods to re-acclimate their brains to a longer, and more restful, sleep cycle. Learn about circadian rhythm.
“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”
- Homer, The Odyssey
Burnout is a state of physical and psychological exhaustion that occurs after long, sustained periods of stress. Typically, it’s a term applied to job stress, though it doesn’t necessarily arise exclusively from paid work. It leaves people tired, empty, and unable to cope with the demands of life. It can also result in reduced creativity, poorer performance at work or school, and increased cynicism.
Buzzfeed’s viral article on millennial burnout calls burnout “the contemporary condition,” pointing to its pervasive nature among young adults in America today. That being said, Americans generally are overworked and under-rested. Work has increasingly infringed upon free time and family time—most Americans check their work emails after hours, over weekends, on vacation, or during sick days. Women in particular often pull double-shifts, having increased their paid work over the past few decades without decreasing the chores and childcare they do at home. Stress of underemployment, an increasingly gig-based economy, and wage stagnation all make for a stressed—and overworked—American population. Burnout is the result.
Burnout can build slowly, and it manifests differently in different people. According to this article by Psychology Today, symptoms might include chronic fatigue, insomnia, impaired attention, migraines, loss of appetite, pessimism, feelings of isolation, or feelings of apathy or hopelessness. These symptoms will last until significant lifestyle changes are made to improve the situation. But depending on the person, it can take weeks, months, or even years to recover from burnout.
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
- Socrates
The is no one solution for a happy, stress-free life. It takes time to find ways to solve your personal burnout, anxiety, or restlessness. To shorten this journey, try a small lifestyle change first. Just one thing could be the first step on your path to a better night's sleep and a better quality of life.
Researchers have identified nine primary therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) which have been proven to be effective, in varying degrees, at improving people’s well-being.
In particular, recreation, or activities which promote rest and relaxation, can involve playfulness, humor, and self-healing. Positive recreational activities can mitigate our stress, improve our mood, foster social skills, and support immune system function.
Stress, another TLC, is especially important for us to think more about, particularly considering the plethora of new stressors unique to this generation of humanity. Stress can affect our psychological, physiological, and even chemical well-being. Stress management can take several forms: through lifestyle changes (such as improving these nine TLCs), psychotherapy, or self-management skills. There’s plenty of research that suggests meditation can reduce stress across a variety of populations and in a variety of ways. When it’s combined with other therapies, it can be especially impactful. Check out our Breathing page to learn a bit more about the way meditation can works through conscious attention to breath.
Tips for Rest
Taking the time to pause, heal, and reset regularly is vital for feeling good. Getting a full night’s rest is just the start. Beyond this, we also need to provide ourselves creative, unchartered space to pursue activities we find enjoyable and fulfilling. Deliberately setting aside even just an hour or two each day to exercise, journal, paint, meditate, call a friend, volunteer, or even cook a nice meal can benefit us in so many ways, both in the short and long terms.
“A well spent day brings happy sleep.”
- Leonardo de Vinci
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