Meditation’s about “waking up” to reality, but can it help us get a good night’s sleep? Bodhipaksa indulges in some pillow-talk about four ways meditation can help with insomnia.
Like most people I’ve sometimes had periods when I’ve found it hard to sleep (or to get back to sleep). In a word: insomnia. It’s not that anything external is keeping me awake, but simply that I’m wide awake with my mind both tired and over-active.
Over the years I’ve tried various things, like reading, getting up and making a cup of tea, etc, that have been useful in breaking into any unhelpful mental patterns that I may have. And often those things work well. Insomnia (in my case at least) generally involves being caught up in a loop of thinking that stirs up emotion, and that cycle of thinking in turn stirs up emotion which causes more thinking. That cycle needs to be interrupted for sleep to take place. Even getting up and making a cup of tea (a stimulant!) can be enough to interrupt the cycle and allow the natural sleep process to kick in. And I’ve found that reading provides an alternative thought-stream (I have the author’s words in my mind rather than my own thoughts) and can help lull me into unconsciousness.
But I’ve also found some meditative techniques that have never failed to work, and I mostly prefer to use these. The times when I’ve chosen not to use them are when I’ve been on a creative streak and I haven’t actually wanted to sleep because my preference has been to “go with the flow” and do the writing (or whatever) that’s been buzzing around in my mind.
The reason that I decided to turn to a more meditative approach is that sometimes wanting to get to sleep will actually keep you awake! What happens is that you lie there awake, but wanting to sleep. At some point you start to drift off, and some dream imagery may start to well up into the mind. Then the part of your mind that’s still awake gets all excited because it sees signs of sleep, and this excitement wakes you up again! This is classic craving, or grasping, in which your mind tries to grab hold of something it wants. But sleep by nature involves letting go, and so the act of grasping will prevent sleep from arising. This happens in meditation too, of course. When we try to recreate enjoyable meditative experiences we often find that we prevent them from occurring — the reason they occurred previously was that we’d stopped grasping and had simply relaxed into our experience.
There are four different meditative approaches that I’ve found to be useful in dealing with insomnia.
1. Mindful breathing
This is as simple as you can get. Basically, just meditate! But there are a few caveats. Not all meditative techniques will help you to sleep. Some will actually cause further stimulation and keep you awake.
So, lying in bed, keep your awareness focused on the sensations of the breath in your belly, observing the rise and fall of the abdominal muscles. It’s important to keep your awareness focused on the belly rather than any other part of the breathing process, because this is the most calming place to observe your breathing. The sensations in the chest, throat, and head are actively stimulating, and so observing the breath in those places would be counter-productive.
Also, pay more attention to the out-breath rather than the in-breath. The classic way to do this is to count at the end of each out-breath. You could also say the word “out” as you exhale. The out-breath is more relaxing, while the in-breath is more stimulating.
The other methods I use are based on an observation that there are three things that keep me awake: thinking that is comprised primarily of “inner chatter,” thinking that is composed mainly of vivid mental imagery, and physical arousal where there is restlessness in the body.
2. Dealing with inner chatter
Sometimes we can’t sleep because we’re talking to ourselves so much — internally, of course. There may well be some inner imagery (see the technique below) but mainly we’re caught up in hearing inner discussions.
If you have a lot of inner self-talk, try making the voice or voices in your head become very s-l-o-o-o-w a-a-a-n-d d-e-e-e-e-e-p, like a vinyl record that’s been unplugged. The trick is to notice the stream of inner chatter and to take control of the flow, slowing it down. You may have to do this a few times, but you’ll notice that as the voices slow down you’ll almost immediately start to feel more sleepy.
3. Dealing with vivid inner imagery
Sometimes our stories are primarily visual. There will of course be an inner soundtrack that accompanies the movie we’re showing ourselves, but it’s the images we’re mainly caught up in and that are keeping us awake.
I’ve found that the most effective approach under these circumstances is to make the imagery go dark, and then to fade in some images of natural scenes. I prefer to visualize leaves on trees, moving slowly in a breeze. The slowness is important. It’s also important that the images be of something relatively unstimulating and restful, which is why nature images work. But a mundane scene, like rain dripping off of leaves, is more effective than inspiring mountain scenes, which are likely to keep you awake.
I often make the weather bad. As I mentioned, rain dripping off of leaves is effective. The fact that it’s raining means that the imagery is duller than usual, and the lack of stimulation is the key to getting back to sleep.
With the techniques of slowing down mental chatter or calling to mind calming (and even dull) imagery, what you’re doing is taking charge of your mind. Rather than letting an uncontrolled stream of images and dialog run through your mind, keeping you awake, you’re deciding what you’re going to think about.
4. Dealing with physical restlessness
Lastly, one of the things that can keep us awake is physical restlessness. This can happen to me when I’ve been exercising too late in the evening. Even though my mind is tired my body is very much awake. If you find that you have a lot of physical energy, then imagine that your body is becoming very heavy, and that you’re being pressed down into the mattress. I sometimes pretend to myself that gravity is variable, and that someone has turned the gravity dial up to “high.”
This uses the same principle as slowing down your inner chatter or making your mental imagery dark and restful. When you’re naturally tired the body feels heavy. When you reverse this process, imagining that the body is heavy, you become tired.
You may have to use all four methods. I use method one to start with, and then the others as required. It has always worked! Sometimes I’ve been lying there thinking, “Nope, it’s not going to work this time,” and then suddenly it’s time to get up and I realize that I’ve slept the whole night through.
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Wow! Since you asked I'll give you my opinion...please remember I am not a medical doctor (but did used to be a sleep researcher!). First, I think you need to go to a sleep clinic and see a sleep medicine specialist. I'm serious. Any GP who would allow you to be on those drugs for 7 years knows nothing about sleep and how drugs work. Ambien is designed (as well as all those sleep drugs) to be taken for 2 weeks maximum. Read the package insert if you don't believe me! It is doing nothing for you now. Also the valium is not a sleep aid- it's a benzodiazepine that helps to relax you- not sleep. That was probably prescribed for anxiety. Also, not supposed to be taken for years on end. Regardless I think you need to get off those drugs but you should talk to a medical doctor (sleep specialist) on how to get off them. Cold turkey might not be a good idea so please talk to a doctor.
If I were a medical doctor, which again I am not, I might think about putting you on a low-dose SSRI that could help with anxiety and have the lovely side effect of making you sleepy.
I think (my opinion only) that the meditation isn't necessarily going to help you sustain sleep- but what it will help you with is with the anxiety. The wonderful thing about meditation and the Buddist way of thinking is that everything is temporary. Yes, you've been an insomniac for 7 years. But tonight may be different! The past does not matter. It helps you just be present, for the now. Not the future of 'OMG I might not sleep tonight!" but the NOW. Also accepting you for you. Having compassion for yourself. It's OK that you're going through some problems. Try the Metta for yourself meditation- concentrating on having some sympathy, compassion, for yourself.
Finally, I'd to a Google search on "sleep hygiene". I might also change your sleeping location, to alleviate the anxiety about sleep. There's a great book I love called "Change Your Mind" by Paramandana (available at Amazon) about meditation and general ways of thinking. He talks about having metta towards yourself.
OK I'll shut up now...good luck! And really if you only do ONE thing to help yourself right now please make an appointment with a sleep medicine specialist and try to get off those drugs.
Hi, J.D.
Apologies for the late response, but I've been rather overwhelmed with requests for advice on top of my work and family life. And thanks, Melissa, for bringing in the medical angle. I'm not sufficiently aware of the medical issues to be able to comment on that, but Melissa's advice to consult a sleep specialist sounds apt.
I wonder if you've tried any of the techniques I suggested above, J.D.? I've found them very helpful because they keep the mind occupied with something other than the anxious preoccupation with whether sleep is going to arrive.
I think meditation generally would be helpful in reducing anxiety. It's one of the things it does best, although sometimes people with a tendency to anxiety actually experience increased anxiety at first because they're worried about "not doing it right." Some guidance is helpful so that reassurance can be given that there's actually no such thing a "doing it right" and that even if you're not "doing it right" it's still effective.
I'd recommend a balance of mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness meditation -- both of which you'll find on this site. If you want a guided meditation, you could try my CD, "Guided Meditations for Calmness, Awareness, and Love," which contains both of those practices.
Hello,
I began learning the Dharma about 15 months ago, after years of depression and imsomnia. For the past 15 months have been working towards my refuge with Geshe Tashi in March. I have'nt had any depression at all, and all was well until my medication was stopped. Now, depspite all my teachings my insomnia has ground me to a halt. My health is suffering because sleep is impossible. I find meditation very helpful but still I cannot fall asleep. I understand it's self cherishing, but even my studies have ground to a halt. I try to help more people because this mad insomnia has shown me how much other people are suffering too. But still I don't get a minutes sleep. I see the Buddha's image when my eyes are closed and it gives me comfort through my tears. Please have you any advice for another insomniac? Many Thanks.
Hi, Jenny.
I'm sorry to hear about your lack of sleep. You haven't said anything about what avenues you've explored so far, either medically or in terms of meditation. Have you sought medical help? (Not that I know much about what they might be able to do).
Have you tried any of the suggestions that I made above?
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Long time insomnia sufferer-hey, I'm awake
Now! When I really can't sleep I take
A pill called Doxylamine succinate. Works a charm!
Makes you sleepy and turns off the mental chatter
Cheap and available over the counter. Biting your tongue
helps, too.
Dear Bodhipaksa
I share my room with another friend of mine, we've been friends for about two years. It was recent that he was looking for an apartment in my city and I invited him to stay along with me, so that he saves some money in rents etc. Its been about one and a half month that he has joined in with me and since then I've lost my sleep. He is a heavy snorer and I cant sleep when there are disturbances. Moreover, he snores heavily when he consumes liquor. I've tried meditating, listening to music, ear plugs and he has tried snore menders, snore strips but nothing has worked out for us. Our room is pretty small and our beds are quite near to each other and this has now put me in deep trouble. I've been very frustrated for the past few weeks with my eyes sore without good sleep. I've now fought with him over this several times and the worse happened a two days back where I had to pour water on him and he agreed to stay up a weekend and let me sleep and he slept in the afternoon. I dont want this to continue since I would loose a good friend but I also would like to have some good sleep in the nights. Can you please advice, i;d be thankful to you
Hi, Dido.
This is a complex issue, I'm afraid. In principle all I can say is that it's possible to regard sounds simply as things to be experienced. It's not the noises that are the problem, but our mental responses to them. In terms of mindfulness, we can learn to have equanimity toward our experiences so that we don't react, and when we don't emotionally react there's nothing keeping us awake. In terms of lovingkindness, doing the metta bhavana practice as you're lying in bed will also help you let go of your reactivity.
I wish you both well!
Hi - I went into meditation because of long standing insomnia - then about 7-8 yrs. Because no one told me what would happen when I reach (Nirvana???) It scared me that was 13 yrs ago and I now go 5,6 even 7 nights without sleep. I have tried CBT but it didn't work, but it did help me become more relaxed about not sleeping. I am worried about non sleeping - I am in my 60's now and it has got to a point where I have physically felt suicidal! Can meditation help me this time?
Hi, Jenny.
I'm sorry to hear about your insomnia. It's funny to think of you being scared of trying meditation in case you got enlightened!
It's quite possible that meditation could help you. Generally meditation can help in reducing the thinking we do that keeps us awake. There are a couple of articles we've published that might help you -- one by me, and another by Sunada.
I'd suggest reading those, but feel free to get back to me if you have any questions.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
You know, I also suffered insomnia from meditation. At first doing meditation was relaxing, then i tried to improve the skill.
I think trying to focus while meditating has caused my brain somewhat difficult to shut down. I continually aware of the surrounding while I was shutting my eyes. Gradually my sleep pattern disturbed so much, I slept less and less, to the point I didnt sleep for 2 days straight. It really freaked me out. It was then impossible to drift off.
I sought help from church...but they didnt calm me a bit, some people blamed me for doing evil thing such meditation, because it's probably evil things had possessed me, and other equivalent crap diagnoses.
Because of my fragile condition at that time, added by guilty feeling endorsed by church community, it had worsened my condition even more.
I became depressed because of anxiety built up caused primarily by insomnia.
I keep praying God to relieve my suffering. Until my prayer answered by someone advised me to go to this psychiatrist in town.
She treated me with depression medication and sleeping pills. My psychiatrist is just like angel sent from heaven.
Just after 3 days taking medication, my condition 80% improved. I continued my medication for about 6 months.
Three months later...free from sleeping pills, i did have relapse by having anxious thoughts, but this time I was aware of the symptoms and back to my medication for another 3 month. I think I didnt finish my depression treatment completely at the first time, because I worried of the side effect for taking prolong sleeping pills.
Now I consider myself 98%recovered. After one year and half ordeal caused by MEDITATION. I believe that it's not suitable for everyone. Just like people allergic to certain food, I'm not built for meditation.
There is good reading from Mary Garden at this website:
https://thehumanist.org/humanist/MaryGarden.html
(CAN MEDITATION BE BAD FOR YOU?)
She shared her experience about Meditation. She saw lots of bad effects caused by meditation. In fact there are many people having nervous breakdowns, and many need to be institutionalized. Read it!
I'm glad, I'm still saved. God still loves me..
You. know, Baba, saying that meditation is bad for some people because it "caused" your insomnia is like saying that exercise is bad for you because you jogged into a lamppost. You're waving around the word meditation without saying what you were doing. In a way, there's no such thing as meditation, there's just "meditating." In other words meditation is not something independent of us -- it's something we do. So you were doing something that was keeping you awake. What were you doing? I'm afraid I've no clue, because you don't say. Did you talk to any experienced meditation teachers to find out if you might have been doing something wrong? You don't say. I suspect you didn't. Perhaps you simply kept jogging into lampposts.
Mary Garden's article is frankly ridiculous. It opens with saying that someone killed themselves after going on a meditation retreat. Big whoop. Lots of people kill themselves after taking medication or after going to see therapists, or after eating at McDonalds. The kind of anecdotal nonsense she indulges in is a waste of pixels. I've deleted the second link since basically you're just linking to another version of the same comment you made here.
I agree with Bodhipaksa. Also, if you (Baba) were so aware of your surroundings that every little thing got your attention- that doesn't really sound like you were meditating. Sounds like hyper-vigilance. From what I understand meditating is kind of mentally sitting back, and allowing thoughts, sounds, etc. to sort of float past you. You can notice them, but the point is to calmly let everything happen that's going to happen without fighting it, or without hooking yourself onto it. Sounds like you were getting hooked into the sounds and thoughts.
Now when you're trying to fall asleep the part of meditation training that I've found useful is the whole "sitting back and letting it happen" part. Relaxing your mind, trying not to hook yourself on every thought that comes through your brain. Now the difference is that when those thoughts eventually turn dream-like, you do want to hook onto them. So- you've got to train yourself to be able to tell the difference between thinking about work, stressing about what you have to do tomorrow, making mental lists etc. and generating an interesting storyline that can lead to dream-like imagery and sleep. It takes time, be patient with yourself.
AND, if all else fails, take a Benedryl!
Finally, I'd like to add that people who have never meditated have this pre-conceived notion that it is "relaxing" and promotes sleep or stress reduction. This may be true eventually, however, meditation can bring up all kinds of mental/emotional stuff that someone just stumbling into it because they're stressed out may not be ready for. You really have to read about it and know what you're getting into because it will change your life- you've got to be ready for that and willing to put in the time and work to make that change good for you.
I searched for meditation and insomnia and found this page. The reason is that I have experienced the same thing as the commenters above, i.e. that meditation has made it more difficult for me to fall asleep at night. I usually meditate half an hour a day (during the day) and focus on my breath and sometimes also on sounds - I note them before shifting my attention to whatever else is occurring. I guess this is a kind of mindfulness meditation. The problem is I have become so aware of my thoughts and impressions that I find it difficult to drift into sleep at night... it seems to me that falling asleep requires me to not even note the thoughts, rather than to note them before letting them go in an endless stream, and that there is a paradox in that meditation is about staying awake and focused while sleeping is about letting go and drifting off. But perhaps I am too focused in my meditation and should try some other technique? I don't want to give up on meditation cause it has improved my life a lot in other areas.
Also, I will try your suggestions but would like to hear your comments also if you have got the time. Thanks!
Hi, Ron.
I think your problem with lies in "I have become so aware of my thoughts and impressions that I find it difficult to drift into sleep." It sounds like your mindfulness practice is a bit unbalanced. The first foundation of mindfulness is the body, and that's where the bulk of our attention should be. In your meditation, and in bed at night, try paying more attention to the body by using body scanning, or by experiencing the body and imagining it to be very heavy. It'll probably take quite a while for you to undo the habit of being caught up in your thoughts, but if you persist then you should find that you become less focused on thinking, and are able to drift off more easily.
I've had phases like this in my own practice. There's usually an element of anxiety ("will I ever fall asleep?") and an element of mental over-stimulation or excitement. Body awareness helps slow the mind down, but for a while you'll find that you still tend to pounce on your thoughts, rather than just leave them to drift through your mind like clouds passing through the sky. You'll be thinking "is this working" rather than just letting your experience happen. But it's just a matter of time.
Do try some of the suggestions I make above, though. I'd be interested to hear at some point how you get on.