Meditation

Sleep disorders left untreated can cause more than just daytime sluggishness. They can damage your physical health and lead to diminished productivity, weight gain, accidents, impaired memory, and put a strain on your relationships.  It is simply meditation for sleep - an effective, natural solution for anyone who wants a more natural approach to achieve deep, rejuvenating sleep, and waking up feeling refreshed and recharged.

Meditation for sleep - a mind calming practice that focuses on breathing and awareness of the present moment that  can be a powerful solution to insomnia and other sleep disorders. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. It helps you break the train of your everyday thoughts to evoke the relaxation response, using whatever technique feels right to you. If you want to stay healthy, perform to your potential, and feel and look your best, consistent quality sleep is a necessity.

While various meditation practices can help with sleep disorders, guided sleep meditations is an effective solution for restful sleep as it helps you gradually fall into a sleep-state through soothing sleep-inducing music, vocal tracks, and visualizations. 

1 - Practise meditation  regularly twice a day for about 20 minutes. Seek the guidance of an experienced meditation instructor to determine the practices that would suit you best. Sahaj Samadhi Meditation or one of the guided meditations led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

2 - Practice alternate-nostril breathing with a 1:2 breath ratio and breath observation meditation or Yoga Nidra before sleeping.

3 - If you wake up in the middle of the night, practice alternate-nostril breathing with a 1:2 breath ratio.

4 - Meditation Enhances The Brainwaves of Sleep

5 - Meditation Brings Us To The Present (Instead of Tomorrow’s Worries)

6 - Meditation Boosts Melatonin (The Sleep Chemical)

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" Insomnia "

The night felt very long, but it ended as all nights do.

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" Sleepless Nights "

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

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" Peer Pressure "

Only surround yourself with people who lift you higher.

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" Lack Of Concentration "

Concentration is a fine antidote to anxiety. 

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" Caffeine Consumption  "

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine depriviation.

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" Getting Angry "

Tolerance - Patience and the destructive effects of anger and hatred. 

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" Impact on Eyes "

Every closed eye is not sleeping and every open eye is not seeing. 

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" In Solitude "

The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. 

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" Lack Of Stamina "

If a person is always tired and stressed ....they may not have proper stamina which can cause Insomnia. 

The Sleeping Pattern

Image Source : Google

Scientists have since found that the brain goes through characteristic patterns of activity throughout each period of sleep, and that it is sometimes more active when we're asleep than when we're awake. Understanding these patterns, and the factors that affect them, may help in making choices that will lead to better quality sleep.

Shifting Sleep Patterns

Sleep patterns can be affected by many factors, including age, the amount of recent sleep or wakefulness, the time of the day or night relative to an individual’s internal clock, other behaviors prior to sleep such as exercise, stress, environmental conditions such as temperature and light, and various chemicals.

For example, for the first year of life, sleep often begins in the REM state. The cyclical alternation of NREM-REM sleep in newborns is present from birth but at 50 to 60 minutes is much shorter than the 90-minute cycles that occur in adults. Consolidated nocturnal sleep and fully developed EEG patterns of the NREM sleep stages emerge only after two to six months. Slow-wave sleep is greatest in young children and it decreases steadily with age, even if sleep duration does not change. This may be related to changes in the structure and function of the brain.

Sleep history—the quantity and quality of an individual’s sleep in recent days—can also have dramatic effects on sleep patterns. Repeatedly missing a night’s sleep, an irregular sleep schedule, or frequent disturbance of sleep can result in a redistribution of sleep stages, for instance, prolonged and deeper periods of slow-wave NREM sleep. Drugs may affect sleep stages as well. For example, alcohol before sleep tends to suppress REM sleep early in the night. As the alcohol is metabolized later in the night, REM sleep rebounds. However, awakenings also become more frequent during this time.

Stress !!

Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself — and improve how you think and feel — by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.

Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limit. But just how much stress is “too much” differs from person to person. Some people seem to be able to roll with life’s punches, while others tend to crumble in the face of small obstacles or frustrations. Some people even thrive on the excitement of a high-stress lifestyle.

Image Source : Google

Things that influence your stress tolerance level  :

Your support network - A strong network of supportive friends and family members is an enormous buffer against stress. When you have people you can count on, life’s pressures don’t seem as overwhelming. On the flip side, the lonelier and more isolated you are, the greater your risk of succumbing to stress.

Your sense of control - If you have confidence in yourself and your ability to influence events and persevere through challenges, it’s easier to take stress in stride. On the other hand, if you believe that you have little control over your life—that you’re at the mercy of your environment and circumstances, with limited ability to make changes—stress is more likely to knock you off course.

Your attitude and outlook - The way you look at life and its inevitable challenges makes a huge difference in your ability to handle stress. If you’re generally hopeful and optimistic, you’ll be less vulnerable. Stress-hardy people tend to embrace challenges, have a stronger sense of humor, believe in a higher purpose, and accept change as an inevitable part of life.

Your ability to deal with your emotions - If you don’t know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, or troubled, you’re more likely to become stressed and agitated. Having the ability to identify and deal appropriately with your emotions can increase your tolerance to stress and help you bounce back from adversity.

Your knowledge and preparation - The more you know about a stressful situation—including how long it will last and what to expect—the easier it is to cope. For example, if you go into surgery with a realistic picture of what to expect post-op, a painful recovery will be less stressful than if you were expecting to bounce back immediately.

Sleep !! Adequate ? How much ?

SOURCE : Google

In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation. Just because you're able to operate on six or seven hours of sleep doesn't mean you wouldn't feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed.

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least 7 hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap. The quality of your sleep directly affects your mental and physical health and the quality of your waking life, including your productivity, emotional balance, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!

Sleep isn’t merely a time when your body shuts off. While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing biological maintenance that keeps your body running in top condition, preparing you for the day ahead. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you won’t be able to work, learn, create, and communicate at a level even close to your true potential. Regularly skimp on “service” and you’re headed for a major mental and physical breakdown.

While it may seem like losing sleep isn't such a big deal, sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative effects that go way beyond daytime drowsiness. Lack of sleep affects your judgment, coordination, and reaction times. In fact, sleep deprivation can affect you just as much as being drunk.

The good news is that you don't have to choose between health and productivity. By addressing any sleep problems and making time to get the sleep you need each night, your energy, efficiency, and overall health will go up. In fact, you’ll likely get much more done during the day than if you were skimping on shuteye and trying to work longer.

Insomnia ? What's that ?

you can

only

 survive

for 11 days

without

sleep

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that regularly affects millions of people worldwide. In short, individuals with insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. The effects can be devastating.

Signs and symptoms

Insomnia itself may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. However, there are many signs and symptoms that are associated with insomnia:

• Difficulty falling asleep at night.
• Waking during the night.
• Waking earlier than desired.
• Daytime fatigue or sleepiness.
• Irritability, depression, or anxiety.
• Being uncoordinated, an increase in errors or accidents.
• Tension headaches (feels like a tight band around head).
• Difficulty socializing.
• Worrying about sleeping.

Sleep deprivation can cause other symptoms. The afflicted person may wake up not feeling fully awake and refreshed and may have a sensation of tiredness and sleepiness throughout the day.

Insomnia can be triggered or perpetuated by your behaviours and sleep patterns. Unhealthy lifestyles and sleep habits can create insomnia on their own (without any underlying psychiatric or medical problem), or they can make insomnia caused by another problem worse. Most adults have had some trouble sleeping because they feel worried or nervous, but for some it’s a pattern that interferes with sleep on a regular basis.

Insomnia also can affect your daily activities and cause serious problems. The lack of sleep can cause other symptoms. You may wake up feeling tired or not well-rested, and you may feel tired during the day. You also may have trouble focusing on tasks. Insomnia can cause you to feel anxious, depressed, or irritable.