Are you having trouble getting relaxed at night? A sleep meditation video can help.
When your brain’s running ten-to-the-dozen, it can be hard to switch off your thoughts to soundlessly drift off.
Using guided meditation techniques, soothing music, and mindfulness, a late-night meditation practice can get you into the right mind for sleep.
Here are some of the top meditations for sleep to help you slip straight into a deep, restful slumber.
What is Sleep Meditation?
When you practice sleep meditation, you’re aiming to relax the mind and body so that you slip into the state of consciousness between awake and asleep (known as the hypnagogic state). This helps you traverse the gap between being wide awake and conscious to being sound asleep.
In yogic practices, this state is known as Yoga Nidra.
As international yoga teacher, Rod Stryker, puts it:
“Yoga nidra allows us to reach the most profound level of relaxation possible, It opens a doorway to a place where we can see ourselves and our lives in the most positive light.”
Not only does this help you feel more relaxed, it also helps to ease the mind’s worries and negative emotions that may be blocking sleep.
As yoga teacher and energy healer, Jo Hamilton, explains, the benefits of meditation for sleep cannot be overlooked.
“It is deeply relaxing, safe and nurturing. Practitioners say that it often brings immediate physical benefits, such as reduced stress and better sleep, and that it has the potential to heal psychological wounds. As a meditation practice, it can offer a profound sense of peace and well-being.
How Does Sleep Meditation Work?
Meditation has shown to improve quality of sleep and prevent sleep disturbances, while helping to keep anxiety at bay.
Like all meditations, a sleep meditation video works by relaxing the mind and body.
The techniques of meditation are simple. By calming your thoughts and centering your mind, the practice of meditation helps you to stop your overactive mind from running over all your anxieties and worries from the day.
You do this by orienting your mind to the present, rather than thinking about things that have already happened or things that may happen in the future.
The other part of meditation refers to relaxing your body. This means letting go of tension in your muscles. By releasing muscular tension, you help the body to drift into sleep more easily.
There are a few different techniques used during sleep meditations to relax the mind and body. Here are the top types of meditation used for sleep:
- Breathing exercises
- Body scans
- Counting
- Gratitude practices
- Visualization
- Purposeful silence
Want a Killer Sleep Meditation Video? Try One of These.
Looking for a meditation video? You’ll find that listening to pre-recorded meditations can calm your mind and body to aid sleep.
Here are a few of the most effective sleep meditations to help you relax into a deep slumber. Try a meditation before bed to help calm your body and mind for more restful sleep.
#1 – Deep Sleep in 9 Minutes | Wave of Relaxation Insomnia Meditation by Unlock Your Life
This calming 9-minute meditation session uses soothing guided meditation to help you fall into a relaxed state.
Simply follow the soft, echoey voice that guides you to loosen your muscles and clear your mind of runaway thoughts.
This beautiful meditation uses guided imagery of soft waves to help the feeling of calm wash over you. Using the term ‘anchor’ to ground you to the present, this meditation helps you to focus on the here and now, rather than worrying about the future or the past.
Super easy to follow, this simple session by Unlock Your Life is also a great meditation for children who are struggling to sleep.
#2 – Deep Sleep Meditation with Affirmations by PowerThoughts Meditation Club
Using a deep male voice, this soft 103 minute sleep meditation video by PowerThoughts Meditation Club lulls you into a state of relaxation with whispery, dulcet tones.
Combining soothing music, relaxing nature sounds, and guided meditation, this deep sleep meditation invites you to find strength in your inner self, using affirmations that encourage the feeling of safety and security that come from self-love.
Beyond helping you get to sleep, this is an excellent meditation for healing, focused on showing love and kindness both to your body and mind.
#3 – Fall Asleep with Gratitude Meditation Before Sleep by John Moyer
If anxiety and stress are causing you to have trouble falling asleep, this 43-minute meditation video helps you fall asleep with a fulfilling sense of gratefulness for everything in your life.
This full-length guided meditation uses the power of the subconscious mind to help you reduce the feeling of negativity in your daily life and replace it with gratitude for the opportunities presented to you each day.
This relaxing mindfulness meditation by John Moyer invites you to focus on what makes you unique and use this to reflect a positive emotional state that you can carry into your waking life.
#4 – 2 Hour Guided Sleep Meditation for Insomnia by Tansy Forrest
In this 2-hour long guided meditation, British hypnotherapist, Tansy Forrest, gently guides you to sleep with soft visualization exercises, calming music, and nature sounds.
While the whole meditation & guided relaxation training script is two hours long, rain sounds begin around 35 minutes into this sleep meditation content, lulling you to sleep very quickly.
This extremely relaxing sleep hypnosis invites you to picture yourself walking along a beach, up and down the sand dunes. By grounding you in this rhythmic, peaceful ocean scene, this meditation helps your whole body and mind to loosen up and relax.
#5 – Yoga Nidra – 16 Min Guided Sleep Meditation for Relaxation and Stress Release by Anne Forkert
This 16-minute meditation is the ideal sleep meditation for beginners.
Yoga instructor, Anne Forkert, guides you into the relaxed hypnagogic state between awake and asleep to help you make the transition to sleep more easily.
This meditation explains how you should lay and exactly how and where to focus your awareness to release stress and tension in your mind and body.
Using body scan methods, this session takes you through a wave of physical relaxation techniques to sleep peacefully throughout the whole night.
#6 – 20 Minute Guided Meditation Body Scan by Yoga with Bird
Encouraging you to meditate on your back with your knees raised, this sleep meditation video by Yoga with Bird uses body scan techniques to help release tension in the muscles.
By creating body awareness, this meditation helps you to pinpoint muscular stress and let go of tension using body practice methods.
If you’re looking for a physical focus for your guided meditation, this session will keep you grounded while calming the body through deep breathing exercises.
#7 – 10 Minute Sleep Meditation – Transition Into Sleep Faster by Goop
Created by Goop, this 10-minute sleep meditation is presented by Austin-based meditation instructor Kate Waitzkin.
A great sleep session to add to your daily meditation practice, Kate Waitzkin invites you to observe unnecessary sensations and thoughts you’re holding on to which prevent you from falling asleep.
Taking you through a series of breathwork, this guided meditation helps to relax the body by following the pattern of your breath. Use this meditation to create space in your body and mind to let go of negative thoughts and clear the way for sleep.
Conclusion
There are a whole variety of meditations you can choose from to center your mind and release tension and stress in your body. Test out some of these meditation sleep videos to find the type of meditation that best helps you drift off.
Try one of these shorter meditation recordings to help you feel a little more physically relaxed or follow one of the longer guided meditations to create a picture of calm in your mind.
You can always purchase meditation albums or look into sleep meditation apps like Calm or Headspace.
Alternatively, look for online meditation classes to learn personal meditation skills that will help you drift off to sleep no matter where you are.
If you’re still having trouble drifting off, check out our other helpful guides on getting to sleep more easily.
Welcome to Snoozerville! I’m Dr. Alex Hartley, your guide to the world of restful sleep. With a Ph.D. in Sleep Science and years of experience as a sleep therapist, I’ve dedicated my life to understanding and improving sleep quality. My passion lies in uncovering the mysteries of sleep and sharing practical, science-backed advice to help you achieve the best rest possible. Beyond my academic pursuits, I’m an advocate for mindfulness and relaxation techniques, which I incorporate into my daily routine. At Snoozerville, I aim to transform your nights, combining the latest research with easy-to-implement tips. Whether you’re a chronic insomniac or just looking to improve your sleep hygiene, join me on this journey towards peaceful, rejuvenating sleep.