Guided Meditation for Sleep - Continued

Does guided meditation for sleep work?

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) agree. They introduced a study suggesting that if you have trouble sleeping you should try guided meditation and mindfulness practices.

In UCLA’s study, 49 adults ages 55 and older participated in a six-week sleep education course. These adults had difficulty falling and staying asleep. The six-week program covered sleep habits and relaxation techniques, and emphasized setting and sticking to bedtime routines. The routines included not watching television or using a computer before bed and going to bed roughly the same time every night.

Half of the people in the study participated in a mindful meditation course. This form of meditation teaches people to be aware (or mindful) of their thoughts and emotions without becoming distracted by them. When we become distracted, we have trouble falling asleep at night.

Those enrolled in the guided mindful meditation group reported a better quality of sleep than those who were not practicing guided meditation. The people who meditated also reported they slept through the night without waking.

Researchers believe the results from guided meditation are a positive alternative for sleep problems, at least in the short term. They haven’t done any long-term guided meditation sleep studies.

Conclusion...