Meditation for better sleep Meditation is thought to have been around since pre-historic times and has been practiced in one form or another in most cultures down through the ages.
It was usually practiced with an emphasis on spiritual growth; however when Hindu mediation was introduced to America in the 1960 western societies started to meditate with relaxation, stress reduction and self improvement as their primary goal.
In our modern lives we are under a much greater amount of stress than ever before in history.
As a result we need to take measures to counter the effect daily stress is having on us; and scientific studies have shown that regular mediation can do this.
One of the rising stress related conditions that is becoming more common is sleep disorders or insomnia.
When we can't get a proper night's sleep we can't effectively function on a daily basis and this makes handling the next day's stress even more difficult and compounds the problem.
When our body thinks we are in danger whether it be a real or perceived danger we automatically go into the 'fight or flight' mode.
We do this in order to be able to combat the perceived danger; this is so that we can survive the danger by either running away from it or fighting it.
In order to do this our body responds in a certain way; our heart rate speeds up and blood flow moves to certain muscles, our digestion slows down and the hormones adrenalin and cortisol are released in our body in order to give us the energy we need to survive.
At one point in our evolution this was a much needed response for example to evade a predator and was implemented when needed so that we could survive.
Over recent years our lifestyle has radically changed and we no longer need this response in order to survive from one day to the next.
Our bodies can't handle being in the 'fight or flight' mode on a constant basis.
For example money worries can cause stress and receiving a large bill in the mail can easily trigger the 'fight or flight' response.
Under these living conditions the rising number of stress related illnesses is evidence of how constant stress is damaging our health.
Once we have survived the danger our bodies perceived, we are supposed to evoke the relaxation response and allow our body functions to return to normal.
With stress ever increasing and becoming a constant part of our lives we are not allowing our bodies enough time to counteract the stress damage and return to normal.
One of the best ways to counteract the effects of stress on your body is to meditate on a regular basis.
By meditating you are evoking the relaxation response in your body and allowing yourself to calm down and become more relaxed.
Stress is one of the top causes of insomnia, so if we can counter the effects of stress then we will be able to sleep better at night and feel healthier.
Research has also shown that regular meditation not only counteracts the stress but also allows us to handle future stress better.
Regular meditation equips us with the tools to minimize our stress levels and thereby sleep better.
There are many forms of meditation readily available today.
For beginners a great place to start is with guided meditation techniques to give you the tools to begin and grow your skills from there.