Before you fall asleep at night, you may have noticed that your mind is racing with thoughts and sleep is the last thing on your mind. Even if your body is feeling like it needs a good night of rest, with the stress of modern life, falling asleep could be tough.
According to the dictionary, a mantra is a repeated word or phrase that is chanted. Mantras are widely used in Eastern spiritual practices but are becoming globally recognised as effective – even if you don’t want to do mantras on a spiritual level.
In this post, we are going to be looking at the meditation sleep mantra and how you can use it to help with falling asleep as well as how it might benefit you.
Which Mantra Should I Chant Before Sleeping?
In days gone by, we were taught that counting sheep would help the mind power off, but in truth, this will only exacerbate insomnia as the mind is similar to an internet browser – lots of pages and tabs open that stop it from shutting down from the stresses of life.
As you chant sleep mantras, each word will help the brain release melatonin, which will improve your chances of getting to sleep naturally.
The mind and body need to relax, and using the words of a mantra while focusing on your breathing can help immensely. There are many different forms of sleep mantras, but finding the right one for you can help reduce insomnia and give you a sense of calm.
No two sleep mantras are the same, and this powerful tool can be adapted to suit you. You can choose to come up with your own, or you might choose to chant any or all of the following sleep mantras:
- I welcome sleep.
- With each breath, I feel more relaxed.
- I feel calm and peaceful.
- If my body is still, my mind will be still.
- I am relaxed; I will release, I am at peace.
Can We Chant Mantra While Sleeping?
One of the most common questions regarding meditation sleep mantras is whether you can chant them after you fall asleep. There is a Sanskrit term called ‘ anahat nada’ which refers to chanting sleep mantras with no conscious effort and retaining a focus while you fall asleep.
This is very effective and will help to achieve peace and ultimately, sleep. However, most will agree that chanting these mantras during sleep can mean that your sleep is adversely affected and the mantras become counterproductive.
Using mantras like all of the ones we have talked about is far better than things like counting sheep and will work to improve insomnia, but your body needs a good night of sleep to remain healthy, and this should be uninterrupted.
Why Do I Fall Asleep During Meditation?
One of the things that plague anyone who tries to meditate for a reason other than sleep is that they go to sleep during their practice. A great way to combat this is to move away from the bed and try to meditate in another room – somewhere that you don’t associate with sleep.
One of the main reasons that many people find themselves in a deep sleep during meditation is that it can be challenging to balance relaxation with focus and our minds may err towards the peace and rest. Furthermore, when we back this with science; your brain releases more hormones when you meditate, and this will raise your melatonin levels. Melatonin is released when we are ready to fall asleep and is usually brought on by darkness – but not all of the hormones released during meditation have this effect. Serotonin can help with anxiety, and a lot of people find this exercise very beneficial for mental health.
To prevent yourself from dropping off to sleep when you are meditation, you might try any of the following techniques.
- Keep a consistent practice so that your mind and body don’t associate closing the eyes with sleep.
- It is a fact that you can meditate with the eyes open so why not try lying on the bed, put your head on a comfortable pillow and place your focus on something that does not serve as a distraction such as the ceiling.
- Repeat words or a phrase at bedtime; these mantras will improve your sleep and stop you from falling to sleep any time you meditate.
- More and more people realise that there is no right time to meditate and the best time for you might not be the same as someone on the other side of the world. It is important to find the best time for you to practice. You will need everything to be quiet and for there to be a stillness but not so much so that it causes your body to rest too much. Many people find that meditating in the morning works well.
- You might try to meditate with others; the phrase ‘the more, the merrier’ works well here. You can join a group where you all sit together to meditate, and this way can work very well if you do not know the other members as your mind will be pre-programmed not to sleep.
- There are many apps and videos you can find on your Youtube account that offer guided sessions, and these items can give your mind something to focus on. There are guided meditations for insomnia, stress, focus, relaxation and much more.
The idea of meditating is to let go and let your thoughts pass by quietly. But it is important to get the balance right so that your mind doesn’t shut down completely. Try to focus on the breath and all the sensations you feel as well as each thought that comes into your mind to stay present.
Conclusion
Insomnia is a common problem, but it doesn’t need to drastically affect the quality of your sleep. There are several ways to improve the common condition, including meditation or the use of a sleep mantra.
These mantras are a series of words or phrases that can be repeated while you are falling asleep and can help to improve your sleep quality as well as how easy it is to drift off in the first place.
These effects combined will have a vast improvement in other areas of your life, such as your stress levels and mental health.
