It’s the social trend which has been sweeping the globe, and officially put an end to our Charli XCX Brat summer. When US Tik Tokker Jools Lebron filmed herself giving tips about how to go to work in a ‘very demure and very mindful’ way TikTokkers went into meltdown with the original video receiving over 50m views and counting.
But whilst influencers and celebs have adopted a light-hearted approach to the trend, the concept of mindfulness has resonated with a much wider audience, with Google searches around ‘guided mindfulness meditation’ and ‘mindfulness body and breath’ seeing an increase of +200% and +675% respectively in August.
Even health organizations like the American Cancer Society have gotten in on the act, posting messages on social media platforms noting how a healthy lifestyle is a “very demure, very mindful” way to help prevent cancer.
However there are many other ways in which mindfulness can benefit your health.
Experts at Bensons for Beds reveal that practicing mindfulness can help to improve your sleep quality – preparing the body and mind for a great night of quality sleep.
In fact, peer-reviewed research proves that sleep meditation can be an effective way of reducing insomnia and fatigue[1].
5 ways meditation can benefit sleep:
- Improves your ability to relax, ideal if stress is the culprit that’s keeping you up
- Improves autonomic nervous system control, reducing the likelihood of waking up overnight
- Increases serotonin (a melatonin precursor) and the sleep hormone melatonin
- Activates the part of the brain in charge of sleeping
- May reduce the heart rate and decrease blood pressure
Courtney-Red Veitch, Bensons for Beds Chief Sleep Officer says: “Our mental health is so dependent on good sleep and vice-versa, so it makes sense that being mindful at bedtime, and getting into good habits as part of our wind down routine, could transform our wellbeing. I’ve been incorporating more mindful practices into my bedtime routine recently, such as tidying my space before bed and writing a gratitude-based goodnight note to myself and I’ve really seen an improvement in my sleep quality.”
Bensons for Beds suggest the following 3 ways to help you get started on your sleep meditation journey:
Guided Sleep Meditation
Guided meditation is one of the easiest ways to get into the practice. Led by an expert, guided meditations take the pressure off knowing what to do, allowing you to simply follow along as someone else leads the way.
During a guided meditation for sleep you’ll be given step-by-step instructions, explaining how to breathe and where to put your focus. Many guided meditations will involve visualising images, such as a peaceful lake or a quiet beach.
Mindfulness Meditation
Perhaps the simplest form of meditation, mindfulness meditation will normally follow a similar pattern each time, as you guide yourself into a state of relaxation. Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment, helping you to clear your mind.
To get started it’s important to remove distractions. Leave your phone in another room, close the door tight and ask family to leave you in peace for a while. Once comfortably lying down, you’ll focus on your breath, inhaling for eight or ten and exhaling for the same. You should take note of your breath and pay attention to your body, encouraging relaxation in points of tension. As you breathe, your mind is likely to wander. Experts say that you should accept errant thoughts and return focus to your breath when realise they’ve edged in. Don’t beat yourself up!
Body Scan Meditation
Body scan meditation is ideal if you struggle with tension and discomfort in your body, allowing you to gain better awareness of bodily sensations. A body scan meditation is a great way to take focus away from intrusive thoughts and it’s easy enough for most people to tackle.
As with mindfulness meditation, it’s important to remove distractions prior to your practice and lie in a comfortable position. When you’re ready to go, you’ll simply close your eyes and begin to take notice of your body as a whole. Over the course of the scan you’ll focus on each individual part of your body, giving it attention and encouraging it to relax. Work from the top down, beginning with your scalp, ears, forehead, eyes, mouth, before moving to your shoulders, arms and spine. Eventually, you’ll pay attention to and relax each toe. Some people will then repeat the process in reverse.
Veitch concludes: “Practising mindfulness is becoming a very common trend as people reap the benefits of what it means for them. Being demure and mindful at bedtime could transform your relationship with sleep – I really would encourage everyone to give it a go tonight!”
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Photo by Greg Pappas on Unsplash
