Dreading Another Broken Night: Yoga Nidra For Sleep Anxiety

If you've had a run of broken nights, the fear of another one can become the thing that keeps you awake. This practice doesn't ask you to sleep.

Yoga Nidra is a guided practice of deep, conscious rest. Unlike most sleep meditations, it does its work whether or not you fall asleep — which means for the next twenty five minutes, you have nothing to achieve. You can stay awake the whole way through and still get the benefit.

We'll settle, set a simple intention, move awareness gently through the body, and finish with a slow descending breath count. There's no ending — the practice fades out, so you can let go whenever you're ready.

Best listened to lying down, in bed, with headphones or a low speaker.

If you've been sleeping badly for more than a few months, it's worth asking your doctor about CBT-I — it's the most effective treatment we have for chronic insomnia. This practice is here for rest, not as a replacement for it.

Transcript

You are probably not in bed yet. There is a particular kind of not going to bed that happens. When you have had a run of bad nights. You find one more thing to do. One more tidy up. One more scroll. Because getting into bed means starting the part you are dreading. And you have. Already done the maths, Haven't you? If I fall asleep by 11, If I fall asleep by midnight. That's still six hours. And you know somewhere that doing that sum wakes you up a little more each time. I don't think you are worried about being tired. I think you're worried about tomorrow. And being shot with someone you love. And making a mistake at work. About someone asking. If you are alright and having to answer. So here is the thing nobody tells you. Sleep is not something you can do. It is not like standing up or making a phone call. You can't decide to do that. It's more like a digestion. Or a sneeze. Or trying to remember a name that's on the tip of your tongue. The harder you push at it. The further away it goes. It happens on its own. When your body is ready. And it stops happening the moment you stand over it, Asking it to hurry up. So every night you get into bed and you try And the triangle is doing exactly what triangle does. And such not you've been broken. That's just how sleep works for everybody. So tonight, We are not going to try. But we will try to do something else as a practice. This practice is called Yoga Nidra. It is very old. And it is not a way of getting you to sleep. It's a way of resting deeply. While you stay aware. And the thing about it. . . The reason I'm doing it. With you tonight. Is that it works whether or not you fall asleep. So if you drift out, Amazing. And if you lie here awake through the whole thing. Amazing, Too. You will have resting. Really rested. And you will have had one night off from fighting. You have nothing to archive for next 20 minutes. There is no way to do this wrong. You do not have to concentrate. You do not have to feel anything in particular. And you do not have to stay awake for me. That to yourself. Get comfortable. Maul if you need to maul. Let your arms rest a little away from your body. Bombs doned up. If that's comfortable. Legs and cross. And let your eyes close. Feel the weight of your body on the bed. The pet is holding you. It has been all nylon. Notice where you touch it. The back of your hand. Your shoulder. Your hips. You are healed. Take one breath through your nose. And let it go through your mouth. Ha. And now, Let your breathing be exactly as it is. Do not deepen it. Do not slow it down. It knows what it's doing. Now I would like you to take one short sentence with you into this practice. Can be a sankalpa. An affirmation starting with I am. Maybe I am at rest. Say it silently to yourself. Two more times. In your own voice, In your own time. I I'm at rest. That is not a wish. It is not a promise about later. It's a description of what's happening right now. You are lying down. And you are resting. It's already true. We are going to move your attention through your body parts. One part at a time. You don't have to move anything. And you don't have to feel anything in particular. Just bring your attention there. Hear the word and let it go. Begin on the right side. The right thumb. The second finger. The third finger. The fourth finger. The little finger. The palm of the right hand. The back of the hand. The rest. The forearm. The elbow. The upper arm. The shoulder. The armpit. The right side of the waist. The right hip. The right tie. The knee. The ankle. The heel the sole of the foot. Top of the foot. The right toes. You And now move to the left side. The left thumb. The second finger. The third finger. The fourth finger. The little finger. The palm of the left hand. The back of the hand. The rest The forearm. The Elbow? The upper arm. The shoulder. The armpit. The left side of the waist. The left hip. The tie. The knee. Ta-ra. The ankle the heel. The sole of the foot. The top of the foot. The Let Dosed. Now the back of the body. The shoulder blades. The whole of the spine. The lower back. The ball back. Resting on the bed. Now the friend. The top of the head. The forehead. The eyebrows. The space between the eyebrows. Both eyes. Ball, Ear, The cheeks. The Null. The chin. The throat. The chest. This shaman. And enable. Now the whole body together. The whole body. Lying here. Resting. Resting in peace. Sukha. Anand. The whole body. Resting. Now let your attention Welcome to your breath. Or changing it. Just noticing it. Air coming in. Air cooling out. We are going to count backwards. From 27. Each breath. Gets a number. And the number goes down. Breathing out. 27. Breathe again. 26. Breathing out. 25 Breathing in, 24. 23 22 21 20 Now carry on by yourself. And if you lose the gum. . . But you win. Just. . . Go back to 27. And start again. Losing. News and get. Is not making a mistake. Nosing it. Is the bottom. It's just a number. And the breath. Nothing to get right. You