An evening meditation is a skillful way to let go of the stress of the day and shift into a more relaxed and peaceful state within your mind, body and spirit. For many people, sleeping difficulty is related to stress. That’s because stress can cause anxiety and tension, making it hard to fall asleep. In some cases, stress can simply worsen existing sleep issues. Meditation may help you sleep better. As a relaxation technique, it can quiet the mind and body while enhancing inner peace. When done before bedtime, meditation may help reduce insomnia and sleep troubles by promoting overall calmness.

Meditation may also:

• increase melatonin (the sleep hormone)
• increase serotonin (precursor of melatonin)
• reduce heart rate
• decrease blood pressure
• activate parts of the brain that control sleep.

Your body experiences similar changes in the early stages of sleep. As a result, meditation can promote sleep by initiating these changes.