unable to fall asleep while meditating

[dc9]

You know how a lot of people don't recommend lying down to meditate because you'll probably fall asleep?

 

This is never a problem for me. As long as my attention is mindful and aware, i can't ever fall asleep. The only way for me to fall asleep is if my attention drifts away.

 

So this is a problem because i actually have insomnia from time to time. Falling asleep can take me up to two hours. It'd be really nice if I could just meditate and fall asleep in less than 30 minutes.

 

Is there anything I can do?

[Aaron]

Hello dc9,

 

I think I might be able to offer some advice in this regard. I have suffered from insomnia now and again in the past, it's not fun, but sometimes what we think might work is actually the worst for solving the problem.

 

First you must recognize that insomnia is more often than not caused by stress. One thing you might want to consider is minimizing the stress in your life. This is really the best solution, but it's not like you can just say, "I'm not going to feel stressed anymore" and your problem will be solved, so instead you might want to consider addressing what's causing you stress, understanding what you can do about it and taking some steps to solve it. If you can't do anything about it, then why stress yourself out over it, let it go, if you can. Now that probably wont work, but you can give it shot, if it doesn't then this will help.

 

First, stay away from stimulants in the afternoon, in other words, no sugar, red bull, coffee, etc. Second, try and set a routine that you use before bed, not something that just takes a few minutes, like brushing your teeth, but maybe reading a chapter in a book or (gasp) meditating. What this does is set your body into a natural rhythm that allows it to understand that you're ready for sleep.

 

Also, try to maintain a normal sleep pattern. Don't go to bed at different times each night. This is an easy way to screw up your sleep pattern and one of the reasons a lot of people believe they suffer from 'insomnia' when really they're suffering from not being tired enough to sleep.

 

The most important thing is not to force it. Even if you have to be to sleep or you're not going to get enough sleep the next day, don't stay in bed laying there waiting to sleep. It rarely works and it's a waste of time. Get up and do something, preferably something that will help you get to sleep, perhaps more meditation.

 

Now a good sleep meditation is actually the exact opposite of what you're talking about, don't be 'aware' so much as let your awareness go. Don't focus on anything, let your thoughts come and drift away. Breathe regular deep slow breathes. This will help to slow down your metabolism as well.

 

Some things I don't recommend, drinking alcohol before bed or taking sleep medication, since even the 'non-habit forming' meds can still become habit forming to a lesser degree. If all else fails, just remember that this too shall pass. You won't have insomnia forever and often times when something like this happens it's our body and mind letting us know something is wrong. Again, if we address what's wrong, then our body's won't need to make us aware of it and we'll find sleep returning in no time.

 

I hope that my suggestions help.

 

Aaron

Edited October 15, 2012 by Aaron

[idiot_stimpy]

The only way for me to fall asleep is if my attention drifts away.

 

 

What is that, that is aware of the attention??

 

 

Rest, nothing needs to be done.

Edited October 15, 2012 by idiot_stimpy

[Ish]

I find the same thing, just focus more on completely relaxing your body and getting very comfortable, don't ever TRY to get to sleep just completely relax and rest your mind.

If you can become so relaxed and at ease, you don't need to worry about sleeping to rejuvenate, you'll be fine either way

[GrandmasterP]

Cultivation once a day in the open air promotes healthy sleep. A 30-minute to one-hour brisk walk with intention pays dividends for those able . Our senior citizens QiGong class includes wheelchair users and whenever the weather is suitable even through winter they wrap up well and cultivate 8 Strands of Silk Brocade [no leg moves] in the open air. They all say how it helps them sleep well. In a park with trees or just on grass beats outside on or amongst hard man made surfaces but outside under the sky is always preferable to being stuck indoors wherever you can do it. Good Luck and keep going.

[Mark Foote]

You know how a lot of people don't recommend lying down to meditate because you'll probably fall asleep?

 

This is never a problem for me. As long as my attention is mindful and aware, i can't ever fall asleep. The only way for me to fall asleep is if my attention drifts away.

 

So this is a problem because i actually have insomnia from time to time. Falling asleep can take me up to two hours. It'd be really nice if I could just meditate and fall asleep in less than 30 minutes.

 

Is there anything I can do?

 

You could try this: waking up and falling asleep

 

Over on the thread myth of the eight hour sleep, I offered "waking up and falling asleep" to humbleone who was having trouble getting back to sleep when he woke up at 4 in the morning. Humbleone had good success with what I describe in the essay, and he thought that I should write more explicit instructions, and I am trying. I would greatly appreciate any questions you might have, actually, as I try to figure out what I need to say to make my description clearer.

 

Basically it's about attending to the location of awareness in space, and allowing whatever is felt to enter into that sense of location. I find staying with my sense of location opens feeling throughout the body until I can feel what is necessary in the movement of breath at the moment. That can either result in my waking up or falling asleep, depends on what's appropriate; which also means that sometimes the best approach to falling asleep is to try to wake up, and the best approach to really waking up is to try to fall asleep. If you do want to try to wake up to fall asleep, I would try that sitting up, until you have to lie down.

 

hope this helps.

[Clarity]

You could try this: waking up and falling asleep

 

hope this helps.

 

Thanks for posting this again, Mark.

 

I passed this along to my mother who has trouble falling asleep when she wakes up in the middle of the night.

 

This definitely seems to reduce the effect of our mind (and spirit) on the body, more or less grounding us on the spot.

[Everything]

Sleeping is the perfect meditation.

[Mark Foote]

Thanks for posting this again, Mark.

 

I passed this along to my mother who has trouble falling asleep when she wakes up in the middle of the night.

 

This definitely seems to reduce the effect of our mind (and spirit) on the body, more or less grounding us on the spot.

 

Thanks, Clarity, and you are very welcome. She might enjoy the article on the myth of the eight hour sleep as well; several of my friends have told me that because they believed that sleeping straight through was natural, they got anxious when they woke up in the middle of the night, and their performance anxiety (as it were) kept them awake. When they read that it was natural to sleep in two stints, they discovered they could get back to sleep fine after period awake, and they are feeling better now.