Health & Safety
Get better sleep
Insomnia affects millions of Americans, but studies suggest that mindfulness meditation can help you get a better night sleep.
According to a clinical trial appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers studied adults who had trouble sleeping and asked half to complete a mindfulness awareness program. The other half were asked to complete a sleep education class teaching them tips to improve their sleep habits. Those in the mindfulness group had less insomnia, fatigue, and depression at the end of the study.
Meditation increases melatonin, the neurochemical that induces sleep. Studies also show that mindfulness meditation practitioners have enhanced REM sleep periods, the same stage in which humans are thought to process and learn new information. Getting an adequate amount of REM sleep each night allows you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
So, the next time you’re having trouble sleeping, just relax and focus on your breath. Don’t worry about the way you’re breathing or how long you’ve been lying there. Let go of the negative thoughts. Just close your eyes, relax, breathe, and drift off to sleep.
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