We have all experienced episodes of insomnia at some point. Indeed, most of these episodes have been caused by intrusive thoughts, which can take two forms: problem-solving (trying to solve situations that affect us) and worries about sleep (inability to sleep, beliefs about the number of hours of sleep, concern about the effects of insomnia, among others).
The problem when we come across these types of thoughts is that they stimulate us both cognitively (with the mind at a thousand miles per hour) and physically. This type of stimulation is difficult to control and appease, preventing us from falling asleep and maintaining it through the night. So how do you avoid or deal with these situations?
One practice that has proven helpful in managing these situations and improving the quality of sleep is mindfulness. When practice before going to sleep, mindfulness helps us recognize our thoughts, both positive and negative, without getting involved with them. In other words, it consists of observing the flow of ideas without acting on them, as when we contemplate the passing of the clouds. This aims to eliminate the useless reactions to these thoughts (stress, anguish, etc.) and neutralize the negative activations that prevent us from falling asleep.
So how do we put it into practice? Although it sounds easy, it takes time and effort to master mindfulness. However, thanks to technology, there are excellent apps that make this task simple. My favourite one is Headspace (www.headspace.com). This app has short mindfulness exercises (10 minutes) for diverse activities such as sleeping, eating, exercising. They are so amazing I couldn't recommend them more.
¡Sweet dreams!
References
Gong, H., Ni, C., Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Su, W., Lian, Y., Peng, W. & Jiang, C. (2016). Mindfulness meditation for insomnia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 89, 1–6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.07.016
Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S. & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 35–43. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7
Hong, S., Kim, T., Kim, S., Jeong, J. & Han, J. (2015). The effectiveness of mindfulness meditation with cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with chronic insomnia. Sleepmedicine, 16, (1), S241–S242. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2015.02.1519
Ong, J.C. & Manber, R. (2010). Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia. In M. Perlis, M. Aloia & B. Kuhn (Eds.), Behavioural Treatments for Sleep Disorders, (pp. 133-141). Boston, USA.: Academic Press
Ong, J.C., Manber, R., Segal, Z., Xia, Y., Shapiro, S. & Wyatt, J.K. (2014). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia. SLEEP, 37, (9), 1553-1563. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4010
Wong, M.Y., Ree, M.J. & Lee, C.W. (2016). Enhancing CBT for Chronic Insomnia: A Randomised Clinical Trial of Additive Components of Mindfulness or Cognitive Therapy. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 23, 377–385. doi: 10.1002/cpp.1980