This 10-Minute Meditation Will Help You Fall Back to Sleep

Sleep is foundational to our wellbeing, and Sleep Awareness Week is a time to check in on your sleep hygiene. For many of us, waking in the night and fending off racing thoughts is a major concern. To help you combat this frustrating middle-of-the-night worry session and get back to sleep, our founder Kala MacDonald, certified yoga teacher, MA in Yoga Studies, created a free 10-minute guided meditation.

Waking up in the middle of the night is a common occurrence—up to 35 percent of people report they don’t sleep through the night. But when you wake up and can’t seem to shut your thoughts off, that’s when sleep disturbances occur, setting you up for a frustrating night of tossing and turning.

For those experiencing racing thoughts jolting you awake and keeping you up caused by anxiety or, let’s face it, the state of the world, it can really mess with your sleep. You know how frustrating it can feel as minutes and hours tick by toward dawn as you’re unable to quiet your brain. High stress levels, anxiety, and depression can all negatively impact your sleep. In turn, sleep depravation can negatively affect your mental health, keeping you trapped in a cycle of poor emotional functioning. Research found that sleep loss resulted in fewer positive emotions, like joy, and caused increased anxiety, worrying, and a spike in heart rate, all things that can negatively impact your day-to-day. But getting better sleep is easier said than done.

Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques before bed is a good place to start, but that doesn’t always ensure a full night’s rest sans interruptions. If you find yourself having trouble calming your racing mind in the middle of the night, and unable to drift off again, body scans, breathing exercises, and guided meditations can promote relaxation. To help with this, our founder Kala MacDonald, certified yoga teacher, MA in Yoga Studies, created a 10-minute meditation designed to get you back to dreamland. She’ll guide you through a calming practice focused on a body scan and breathing techniques that will help comfort you, relaxing your body and mind for sleep.

Find the complete guided meditation here, downloadable for free—and happy snoozing.