Meditation is an excellent practice that can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of sleep, especially for moms juggling mental load, caregiving, and endless to-do lists. You may also find that meditation helps you feel more refreshed with fewer hours of slumber, which is particularly helpful during seasons of broken sleep with children. The following practices will encourage better sleep and bring you more energy for motherhood and daily life.

Practices to Do Anytime

1. Breathe deeply. Breathing fully from your abdomen gets more oxygen to your brain. You’ll have more energy all day long and feel more relaxed when night falls, even after a long day of caring for kids and family needs.

2. Scan your body. Get in the habit of paying attention to your body, something many moms forget to do. When you notice an ache or pain, you can adjust your position or talk with your doctor so small discomforts are treated before they build up and interfere with your sleep.

3. Become more mindful. Focusing on the present moment will help to keep you calm and happy, even during busy or noisy days with children. Studies show that multitasking, something moms often do constantly, may erode your concentration and create stress that can contribute to insomnia.

4. Let go of judgments. Meditation also helps to develop a mind free from judgment. Learn to observe your thoughts and reduce negative self-talk, including mom guilt and self-criticism.

5. Identify obstacles. If some thoughts recur as you meditate, they could be trying to tell you something. Those nagging resentments or fears—often related to parenting, relationships, or responsibilities—may be issues you need to resolve so you can live and sleep better.

6. Try Yoga or Tai chi. Exercises like Yoga or Tai chi are especially helpful when you approach them as a mental discipline as well as a physical workout. These movements and poses encourage deep breathing, stress reduction and enhanced concentration, even if practiced briefly during a quiet moment as a mom.

7. Use meditation to complement sleep. People who go on prolonged retreats are sometimes surprised that meditating all day may dramatically reduce their need for sleep at night. Proceed at your own pace to find the right combination of sleep and meditation for you, keeping in mind your current season of motherhood. You may someday find that your body requires less sleep as you meditate more.

Practices To Do at Bedtime and Upon Waking

1. Limit your screen time. Meditation works wonders but any activity that gets you away from the TV or the internet will help you fall asleep, especially after scrolling late at night once the kids are finally asleep. Studies show that many Americans are suffering from sleep problems because of the mental stimulation and looking at a brightly lit screen just before retiring. Turn all your devices off at least an hour before bed.

2. Create a quiet setting. Silence is conducive to both meditation and sleep. Now that you’ve got the TV off, put your phone away too. Decorate your bedroom with an emphasis on restful colors and soft textures to create a calm space just for you as a mom.

3. Take the pressure off. Getting anxious about falling asleep is enough to keep you up at night, especially when you know the baby or kids might wake you. By shifting your attention to more constructive activities, you’ll dispel these tensions.

4. Use guided imagery or phrases. While you may try to avoid mental sinking during your regular meditation practice, you can adapt some of the concepts to use when you’re going to sleep. Select any soothing image or thought and allow your mind to become fully engaged with it. You might think about a still lake, a peaceful moment with your child, or a line of poetry or prayer.

• If you wake up after falling asleep, return your mind to your object of meditation. At first, you may still wake up during the night, which is common for many moms. If so, return your thoughts to the image or idea you used to help fall asleep.

5. Wake up more gently. Try going to bed and getting up at the same time each day so you can wake up naturally without using an alarm clock, when possible with family routines. Easing your mind awake gradually will enable you to hold onto the pleasant sensations you experienced overnight.

Meditation is a safe and effective method for alleviating insomnia, especially for overwhelmed and overstimulated moms. These techniques will help you enjoy deep and restful sleep so you can show up more calmly and patiently each day.