There is a great quote that says, “My bed is a magical place where I suddenly remember everything I was supposed to do.”

 

People hop into bed, and then proceed to think about the when, where, who, why, what, and hows of their life… all while they’re supposed to be sleeping. If this sounds familiar to you, then you have a serious issue with something we call “inner chatter.” But, don’t worry, there is a solution.

 

It’s important to realize that there is nothing “wrong” with you just because you have a lot of thoughts. It’s part of being human. It’s actually a great gift to be able to process as much information as we do. Experts estimate that we have upwards of 50,000 thoughts-per-day; most of them random, and most of them short-lived. But, in our over-informed, over-stressed, and hyper-sensitized world today it can all be a bit much. We need to learn to turn the volume down when we want to. And, it’s really as simple as that.

 

What I’m going to share with you is not just a tool to help you improve your sleep; it’s a powerful tool to help transform your life. The inner chatter that you experience is a result of the stress and untamed busyness of the day. Now, more than ever, with the constant flow of information coming at you, it’s important to have a practice to help you buffer that stress. That important practice is meditation.

 

Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated, and it definitely doesn’t require that you subscribe to any weird spiritual belief (no drinking the Kool-Aid please!). It also doesn’t require you to sit cross-legged on the floor, chanting a mantra, either. It can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing, counting your steps as you walk around the park, or you can even turn everyday activities like taking a shower or washing your clothes into a great meditation by follow a few basic principles.

 

Meditation is like a tonic. A tonic is something that you can use everyday, and the results continue to get better and better. The more you meditate, the more calm and presence you’ll have in your day-to-day life.

 

Now when I say more, I’m talking about frequency, and not a specific time requirement. Once you find the right meditation for yourself, you can almost instantly feel a sense of calm and presence by doing your practice throughout the day.

 

I started off meditating for 30 to 45 minutes every morning for three years. Today, I do more “mini-meditations,” often five minutes or less, and I feel the same focus and peace that I felt all those years when meditating for a half hour or more. How? Because the effects are cumulative, and the neuro-association my brain and body have made to closing my eyes and focusing on my breath, instantly puts me in that calm space.

 

Numerous studies show that meditation increases “feel-good” hormones and endorphins, lowers stress hormones like cortisol, and even reduces inflammation in our body. Now, you can buy stuff that can give you similar experiences, but it’ll probably cost you a lot of money (and you might get arrested too).

 

Let’s take a look at the proven ways that a meditation practice can improve your life.

 

Performance

 

In a study published in the journal Brain Research Bulletin, researchers discovered that people trained to meditate over an eight-week period were better able to control specific type of brain waves called “alpha rhythms.”

 

The lead author of the paper, MIT neuroscientist, Christopher Moore, stated, “These activity patterns are thought to minimize distractions, to diminish the likelihood stimuli will grab your attention. Our data indicate that meditation training makes you better at focusing, in part by allowing you to better regulate how things that arise will impact you.”

 

Could you use more focus in your life right now? Would being less distracted be helpful to you?

 

If you’re like most people, then focus is a huge issue. Our ability to focus and get things done is a huge component of overall success. Meditation literally changes your brain and enables you to utilize your ability to focus like nothing else can. Not in an “oh, that sounds nice” kind of way, but in it actually changes the way your brain grows and operates.

 

After eight weeks, the subjects who had been trained in meditation showed larger changes in the size (amplitude) of their alpha waves when asked to focus on one specific thing. Essentially, their focus was stronger and deeper than at the beginning of the study. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have also found that meditation alters the structure of your brain, thickening the regions associated with attention and sensory processing.

 

There is an absurd amount of data mounting about the beneficial impact of mediation on work performance, productivity, memory, and focus. Don’t be the one who misses the boat because you didn’t take advantage of this valuable resource.

 

Health

 

Research at the Medical College of Georgia found that meditation lowered blood pressure and reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke. Numerous studies also demonstrate that meditation can reduce chronic pain and associated inflammatory biomarkers.

 

Today, over 80 percent of physician visits are for stress-related illnesses. Stress is at the top of the list of reasons why people begin a meditation practice. Countless studies show the stress-reducing effects in healthy individuals, as well as in patients suffering from a variety of diseases. Meditation has proven to be good for your brain, good for your body, and good for life overall.

 

Sleep

 

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine published research showing that meditation is an effective treatment for insomnia. The study showed that over a two-month period sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and depression improved in patients who used meditation.

 

Principle investigator in the study, Dr Gourineni stated, “Results of the study show that teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can help improve sleep at night.”

 

The most important takeaway is that the only side effects associated with meditation are a better quality of life. Whereas using drugs to treat insomnia is associated with organ damage, hormone disruption, and significant chemical dependency.

 

Ride the Wave

 

We all have four different brain wave frequencies that are most often expressed, measured in cycles per second (Hz). Each of these brain wave frequencies have their own set of characteristics that demonstrate specific brain activity and a unique state of consciousness. Here is a brief description of the four:

 

Beta waves (15-40 Hz): This is the brain rhythm in the normal state of wakefulness, associated with thinking, conscious problems solving, and attention towards the outer world. You are most likely in a “beta state” while reading this right now.

 

Alpha waves (9-14 Hz): When you are truly relaxed, your brain waves slow from the hyper-alertness of beta waves to the gentle waves of alpha. The “alpha state” is where meditation begins and it’s a brain wave frequency that heightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning, and concentration. This is the gateway to the subconscious mind and reprogramming your thinking.

 

Theta waves (4-8 Hz): Theta brain waves are present during deep meditation and light sleep, including the important REM dream state. This is the domain of your subconscious and only experienced momentarily as you drift off to sleep from alpha or wake from deep sleep (delta waves). We are more receptive to insights and information beyond our normal conscious awareness in this state. Some experts state that theta meditation amplifies intuition and other extrasensory perception skills.

 

Delta waves (1-3 Hz): The delta frequency is the slowest of the frequencies and is experienced in deep, dreamless sleep. It is also seen occasionally in very experienced meditators. The delta state is critical to the body’s healing processes. Most regeneration and healing happen in this brain-wave state, making getting enough deep sleep critical to our survival.

 

The ability to change your brain waves is why meditation works. You can consciously, proactively change the way your brain operates, and the potential benefits are tremendous.

 

Now that we know the power of meditation, here’s how to do it to improve your sleep and get a better brain, starting now.

 

Primetime

 

One of the best times for meditation is when you’re already close to the alpha and theta brain waves. This would be as soon as you wake up in the morning, or right before bed at night. As the American Academy of Sleep Medicine research showed, meditating in the morning is proven to help test subjects sleep at night. You’re creating a conscious neuro-pathway to relaxation, a buffer against stress, and a profound sense of presence that will help you sleep better at night.

 

Start your own meditation practice beginning tomorrow morning (or right now if you’re an A-player!). We hear all the time about unhealthy habits, but this is a healthy habit you can create to benefit your life in numerous areas. As little as five to ten minutes to start your day will have a cumulative effect on your energy, focus, and ability to sleep better at night.

 

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you wake up too soon and have trouble going back to sleep, simply lay in your bed and practice a breathing meditation to put your brain into the alpha and/or theta state to mimic some of the benefits of the sleep you would normally be missing out on.

 

This is an incredible resource to have at your disposal when you need it.

 

It’s all about having tools and strategies to perform in our day-to-day lives. Meditation can help rejuvenate your body and mind, supplement your sleep, and improve your performance. If you need some help with meditation techniques, I have some for you below, plus some bonus tips to help your mind and body recover when you’re in a pinch.

 

 

 

 

 

Calm It Down Power Tip #1

 

If you decide to meditate at night to help you wind-down for sleep, try doing it before you get into the bed, not while you’re in bed. Again, the neuro-association you want to have with your bed is sleep (and sex if you’re too sexy for this party) and that’s it. You can sit by your bedside and meditate for a few minutes, then slide your way into bed for a great night’s sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Calm It Down Power Tip #2

 

Use guided meditations to help you get acclimated when you’re first starting out. They can be really helpful for extremely busy-minded people because your attention goes to the instructions along the way.

 

Try out the guided meditations provided by UCLA at:

 

http://theshawnstevensonmodel/guided-meditations

 

 

 

 

 

Calm It Down Power Tip #3

 

If you do want to use a simple meditation/mindfulness practice to help you fall asleep while lying in bed, try this:

 

Lay peacefully on your back with a comfortable pillow to support your head if you need one.

 

Take a deep breath, breathing in for five seconds, holding for five seconds, then breathing out for five seconds, and holding out for five seconds. Do this sequence three times.

 

Now shift your focus to breathing and circulating that oxygen to your toes. Visualize the air coming in through your nose then traveling down to your toes, and then back out (following the same breathing count above).

 

Next, move your attention to your feet. Breathe in through your nose and circulate the air to your feet following the same breathing count above (five seconds in, five seconds hold, five seconds out, five seconds hold).

 

Next, move your attention to your ankles, then your shins, then your knees, then your thighs, going all the way up your body until you gently drift away. Many people fall asleep before reaching their knees. You’ve got to experiment and find out what works best for you. Give this one a try anytime you like.