Most people first start meditating when they feel a need to relax and experience peace.
In the world that we live in, it’s no secret that there are countless stressors.
And so, people often flock to meditation as a solution to their mental and emotional woes.
However, most beginners find it difficult to meditate while sitting in a cross-legged posture (which is how it is typically done).
They find it difficult to keep their spines erect and maintain their posture for prolonged periods.
This is why they often ask how to meditate lying down since it’s the easier method to meditate.
But, as we all know, if you meditate lying down, you are bound to fall asleep.
After all, your body and mind get so relaxed that sleep comes naturally and rather quickly!
So, is there a way out of this pesky situation? Well, as it turns out, yes!
How To Meditate Lying Down Without Falling Asleep
I’m a big fan of lying down to meditate, but I’ll be the first admit that I often fall asleep.
If I’m about to go to bed, this isn’t so much of a problem, but if I am meditating in the middle of the day, it can be more of a problem.
Here are my top tips for how to meditate lying down without falling asleep.
1) If Possible, Try To Avoid Your Bed
This is probably an obvious one. Your bed is the place that your brain associates with sleep. So, if you lie down on it, you are naturally going to drift to sleep.
Especially if you do something that relaxes your body and mind. This is why so many people fall asleep in their beds while reading books.
So, try to avoid meditating on your bed while lying down if possible.
Instead, you could meditate on your couch, a comfortable rug, or even outdoors if that’s an option for you.
2) Drink Ice Cold Water Before Meditating
We all know the effect cold water has on us. When you take a cold shower or drink a chilled beverage, you immediately feel fresh and alive.
At that moment, it almost feels like some latent energy has been activated in you!
So, if you want to meditate lying down, you should first drink a glass of cold water.
It will have the added benefit of making your brain more alert and focused. This will only enhance your meditation.
Also, you could try splashing some cold water on your face before you lie down to meditate.
3) Drink Coffee Before Meditating
This is another obvious solution to your problem.
A huge part of the world population drinks coffee every day to wake themselves up and remain in a focused state.
Naturally, you can do the same.
Just before you meditate, drink a warm cup of coffee. The caffeine in it will keep you focused and stop you from falling asleep.
In fact, you can practice mindfulness while drinking your coffee which will prepare your mind and body for what’s next.
4) Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep Every Night
Your body needs a certain amount of sleep every night. And if you don’t get enough sleep, you will start seeing its consequences during the day.
It can especially interfere with your meditation practice. When you meditate while lying down, your body will quickly pass over the meditative state and go straight into sleep mode.
After all, your brain will think that you’re trying to get some much-needed rest.
However, if you’re getting ample sleep, the chances of that happening will be greatly reduced.
5) Meditate With Open Eyes
This might sound a bit odd to you since meditation is almost always done with closed eyes. However, meditating with open eyes is actually a legit thing.
Sure, you might not achieve the same level of deep meditation with open eyes, but you can certainly reach a satisfactory level.
And, with practice, you might even be able to venture deeper.
In this method, you are required to maintain a soft gaze and focus on something that’s in front of you.
If you’re lying down while meditating, that “something” will most likely be your ceiling or the sky.
6) Find Your Peak Time
As biological beings, our various physiological functions happen in cycles. The most common example of this is the sleep cycle.
Your body automatically knows when it’s time to wake up and sleep.
Similarly, your focus and energy levels also have cycles. There are periods during the day when you feel highly focused and energetic, and there are periods when you feel dull and lethargic.
If you were wondering how to meditate without falling asleep, you need to identify your peak time during the day. This peak period is the ideal time to meditate.
7) Brighten The Space
We all know from experience that it can be quite difficult to sleep in a bright space. You can use this to your advantage if you want to learn how to meditate in bed.
If you like meditating in the morning, you can open up your curtains and let the bright sunlight in.
If you like meditating at night, you could switch on the lights and brighten up the room.
When there is a lot of ambient light in the surroundings, this sends a signal to your brain that it is not the right time to sleep.
As such, you can enjoy your meditation.
8) Eat 3-4 Hours Before Meditating
If you meditate regularly, you are probably already aware that eating just before meditation can put you to sleep very quickly.
And if you’re meditating while lying down, you will probably fall asleep before you can even think about meditating!
So, try to eat 3-4 hours before your practice. That will ensure that you will have an almost empty stomach when you start meditating and you won’t fall asleep.
9) Try A Focused Guided Meditation
Many beginners love guided meditations as they make the practice seem much easier. You might have tried some of these meditations too.
If you want to meditate while lying down and not sleep during the process, you should try out a focused guided meditation.
Guided meditations are designed in such a way that they help you maintain your focus while stopping you from falling asleep.
You can find many such meditation tracks online.
And even if you do drift off for a moment, there are usually sounds or steps towards the end of the track to bring you back to the real world.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to meditate lying down without falling asleep isn’t easy. But it is possible.
Pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day to choose the best time to meditate and then make sure the environment is right.
Try drinking some cold water or a cup of coffee before you lie down to meditate and make sure you don’t have a full stomach.
I started Spirit of Sapphire in August 2017 after finally building up the courage to start reading tarot for people other than my loved ones.
At the same time, I embarked upon expanding my spiritual knowledge and skills and so attended various psychic mediumship courses and circles, and I also began to train as a Reiki practitioner.
I’ve designed this site to be a hub of spiritual knowledge. As I learn new things, I want to share them with you.
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