What is sleep meditation?
Short Answer
Sleep meditation is a guided or self-led practice near bedtime that uses breath, body scanning, and gentle attention to reduce arousal and ease the transition into sleep—without trying to force sleep to happen.
Why This Matters
Insomnia often persists because the bed becomes associated with effort and worry, which leads to hyperarousal right when you want to unwind. Sleep meditation gives the mind a simple, non-judgmental task, which reduces rumination and softens the stress response. That shift can make sleep more likely and improve how restorative it feels.
Where This Changes
If the practice becomes another “performance test” (“I must fall asleep now”), it can backfire by increasing pressure. It’s also not a replacement for treating medical sleep disorders, but it can pair well with good sleep hygiene and cognitive-behavioral approaches.