The Daisy Garland Mindfulness Sessions

Week 5: Mindfulness and Sleep

This week’s theme was mindfulness and how it can help us to sleep better for longer. After exploring some of the common obstacles to getting a good night’s sleep, we looked at several mindfulness practices that can help to calm the body and soothe the mind. I have included a few links to similar practices for you to try this week below.

In essence, the practice of mindfulness helps us to activate our ‘rest and digest’ nervous system and encourages us to let go of worries, thoughts and rumination that often take hold when we want to sleep. As Dr Shelby Harris explains, “Mindfulness can quiet the brain and allow for deeper sleep…It can set the stage for sleep by allowing you to be more aware of your thoughts and to be able to let go of those anxieties instead of getting stuck on them.” She explains that “Strengthening your ‘mind muscle’ through daily practice helps you better recognise the negative insomnia-inducing thoughts and let them pass.”  So practising when you can during the day can help you to release negative thoughts and allow them to pass at night. 

To find out more about mindfulness and its impact on sleep, click the links below in this week’s Mindfulness Plus.

Article: Mindfulness and Relaxation for Sleep:https://www.nosleeplessnights.com/mindfulness-exercises/

Audio: Nighttime Meditation to Help Sleep by Sharon Salzberg (7 mins):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-iHp50VmuU

Article: Mindful Sleep by John Cline: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/sleepless-in-america/201401/mindful-sleep

Audio: Conscious Breathing Meditation recorded by Gillian Higgins: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/sites/119559/themes/2195214/downloads/ElbTFOiESQGokpD8nEmd_Conscious_Breathing_Meditation.wav

This Week's Poem: Think Like a Tree by Karen Shragg

Soak up the sun

Affirm life’s magic

Be graceful in the wind

Stand tall after a storm

Feel refreshed after it rains

Grow strong without notice

Be prepared for each season

Provide shelter to strangers

Hang tough through a cold spell

Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring 

Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky

Be still long enough to 

hear your own leaves rustling.