How Can I Meditate Without Falling Asleep
Let’s face it! You sometimes struggle to stay awake and focused while you are meditating. You are not alone because there are many of us who meditate but sometimes no matter how hard we try, our eyes just simply shut. So what can you do to be be both mindfully focused and physically awake while meditating.
Meditation that involves gentle forms of motions like walking or dancing is a good practice in order to stay awake. Other meditation elements in your environment such as essential oil or incense, natural light and actual plants are also scientifically proven to improve alertness, mood & focus.
Movement meditation that involves gentle forms of motions like walking, simple qigong, tai chi or yoga poses is the best kind of meditation to practice if the other forms of meditation lulls you to sleep.
Your environment and surrounding is a key factor for you to stay focused and awake. The essential elements of earth, air, fire and water make your environment more conducive to meditating without falling asleep.
Essential elements to stay awake
- Scented candles
- Incense
- Essential oils
- Potted plants
- Background music
- Natural light
- Hot tea
A daily meditation is vital to our wellness and health. Knowing how to practice meditation without falling asleep on a daily basis has positive effects on your overall well-being.
This finding is of clinical relevance and suggests that a daily meditation practice might be required to maintain some of the alleged positive effects of meditation training on stress or well-being.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Why do you fall asleep during meditation?
Falling asleep during meditation is actually normal. Meditation is always connected with a high state of relaxation. And when we feel relax, our body wants to rest. Adding some essential elements while meditating can help feel relax and focused without feeling drowsy.
Another important factor that we also need to look at is the quality of our sleep. The quality of your sleep is a relevant indicator of your physical and mental well-being according to major studies.
So how much sleep do you need as you age? For adults, at least 7 hours is the recommended sleeping duration. It is also suggested that sleeping should occur between 8:00 pm and midnight.
Sleep health is a multidimensional pattern of sleep-wakefulness, adapted to individual, social, and environmental demands, that promotes physical and mental well-being.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Evidence-Based Tips to Stay Awake When Meditating
Following our tested and proven guidelines will keep you awake and focused during your meditation. Another significant benefit is that the steps below are proven to improve your attention and productivity at work.
- Sleep at least 7 hours a day
- Meditate after a short rest
- Avoid overeating
- Practice movement meditation
- Drink tea before and after meditation
- Sit up straight and tall
- Use essential oils
- Use natural light
- Surround yourself
- Use some meditation apps
Sleep at least 7 hours a day
Good sleep is not only a good indicator of a good meditation session but also a good determiner of your overall health. One way to do this is by going to bed between 8:00 pm to midnight.
I usually feel sleep during meditation if I lack of sleep the other night. You might have the same experience. According to study by the the National Institute of Health, sleeping can improve sustained alertness during the waking hours.
Good sleep health is characterized by subjective satisfaction, appropriate timing, adequate duration, high efficiency, and sustained alertness during waking hours.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Meditate after a short rest
If you are really falling asleep during meditation, suit yourself and have it both ways. By saying this, what I mean is do not rest for that long and take a nap for a maximum of 20 minutes as suggested by many studies. After pampering yourself from a catnap, it’s time to go back to your meditation mantra. I have tried this trick many times and still works until now.
In fact, you are hitting two birds in one stone. Both meditation and nap are backed-up by science to improve their performance and productivity. Then have it both ways.
Napping benefits long-term memory formation and is a tool many individuals use to improve daytime functioning
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Avoid Overeating
Watch out folks! In one study, they revealed that overeating is related not only to health problems but they are also linked to negative effects on your overall well-being.
This is what happens to me on a daily scenario. I would overeat during my my lunch and try to meditate after. It doesn’t work at all. Instead I have come up with another formula by diving my meals into small portions; thus, I avoid overeating. This strategy helps me to focus while meditating and at the same time have seen significant effect on my weight management.
Carbohydrate consumption usually let you feel drowsy. So avoid starchy and carbs before meditation.
After overeating , carbohydrate cravings, hunger, prospective food consumption, and sadness increased and satisfaction, relaxation, and tranquility decreased.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Practice movement meditation
Moving while meditating is the best solution that I have found so far. Sitting still and straight might be an ideal position for meditation. However, this notion is not one-size fits all as there are people who practice meditation who simply just can’t focus while sitting or even worse lying down.
Any combinations of simple and repetitive simple forms of motions and mindfulness can be considered as movement meditation. Moving meditation focuses on being mindful by feeling all your senses of your body movement rather than the activity itself. Breathe in and out deeply and let your full body and mind focus on your flow.
There are many ways that you can do to move and meditate at the same time.
- Walking
- Swimming
- Trekking
- Gardening
- Painting
- Qigong
- Tai-Chi
- Yoga
There are many major studies that explores the positive effects of meditation and exercise at the same time. One study showed that if we want to achieve an optimum effect of exercise, it has to be combined with meditation routines.
It is hypothesized that the psychological, physiological, and psychophysiological benefits of exercise could be maximized when performed in combination with meditation routines.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Drink tea before and after meditation
Green tea has a good source of caffeine. And caffeine is a good way to wake up our body. You may want to ask me why not drink coffee instead of tea? This is a tricky question. However, for many of us including me drinking coffee makes us feel energetic. Green has both calming and energy effect to us. It’s aroma is also light and fragrant that makes you feel more relaxed.
Major studies have shown that besides the weight-loss effects of green tea, it can also improve mood. So brew your own tea, feel its warmth and smell its aroma before tasting your light and aromatic tea.
In conclusion, this investigation showed that green and oolong GABA teas were able to exert positive effects on mood.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Sit up straight and tall
Tired of walking for a movement meditation? Then sitting up while meditating is the best for you. It is best to meditate with right posture by sitting up straight and tall. Take a deep breath and do your mantra. This video will show you how.
Unhealthy sitting posture has been linked to some serious health problems. So it is best if you practice with a correct sitting posture.
The 5 Principles for Sitting Meditation
- Keep your soles and heels close
- Keep your knees lower than hips
- Go for slight natural curve
- Open shoulders
- Keep your head your balanced
Sitting with unhealthy sitting posture for a long time seriously harms human health and may even lead to lumbar disease, cervical disease and myopia.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Use essential oil
Our sense of smell also another area to look at. At first I thought meditation essential oil is just something to decorate in your meditation room, but after doing my readings I found out that they’re not just an element of beauty.
Major studies have shown that sense of smell has effects in human mood, stress and work performance. Therefore, using essential oils, incense and scented candles play a vital role for you to stay awake while meditating. Time to lit that incense.
The sense of smell plays an important role in the physiological effects of mood, stress, and working capacity.
The studies have suggested a significant role for olfactory stimulation in the alteration of cognition, mood, and social behavior.
Based on the previous studies, it can be concluded that fragrances directly and/or indirectly affect the psychological and physiological conditions of humans.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Use natural light
Natural light from the sun gives us the feeling of warmth and positivity. When meditating, try to let the natural light get through your room or office. One way to get even closer to the natural, is to get closed to the windows. Meditation by the window is the best way to let the natural light shine your meditation room.
This study shows that light boosts your level of mood and alertness. In meditation, their finding only confirms that the use of light may be a perfect choice for those who are sleepy.
Exposure to light plays a crucial role in biological processes, influencing mood and alertness.
These findings indicate that the use of intermittent light may be a better choice for people who are sleepy and need promoting alertness.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Surround yourself with nature
Being surrounded by nature always gives us sense of calming and soothing effect to our body, mind and soul. Some of us are lucky enough to be literally closed to nature and have a perfect view of the sea and mountains. Having these elements is perfect for your meditation.
If you are a city dweller, nature might not be close to you. Then bring them close to you by bringing those potted plants in your home and office. It also used to be my perception that these potted plants are just decorations.
Do not underestimate those plants because they are proven to improve your attention and alertness while meditating. You do not have any excuse to wink your eyes in your meditation if you are surrounded with those shades of green in your meditation room.
In conclusion, actual plants may improve attention and prompt psychological relaxation in elementary students relative to artificial plants, photographs of plants, or the absence of plants.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Use meditation apps
For some of us, meditation can be boring if we do it alone. Having a meditation guru to guide you during a meditation session. Just like me, you may not want to spend your fortune for those meditation experts to spend time with you.
There are many meditation apps to stay awake and focus in your meditation.
- The Mindfulness App
- Headspace
- Pzizz
- Buddhify
- Simple Habit
- Unplug
- Breethe
- MindU
- Omvana
- Calm
In one study, it appears that the degree of improvement in response to a smartphone-based mindfulness app may be similar to programs that require in-person attendance with even greater opportunity for convenient compliance and continued use.
US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
How long is the average meditation?
20 minutes is suggested for a session of silent meditation according to one study. In meditation, practitioners meditate for 20 minutes twice a day. For beginners, meditation for 10 minutes two times a day may be beneficial for better alertness, productivity and happiness.
Transcendental meditation is practiced for 20 minutes twice daily. These practices may be used to: (1) increase concentration, insight, or awareness of the present moment; (2) promote relaxation; (3) reduce stress; (4) settle the mind; (5) achieve a state of increased consciousness; and (6) reduce perceived suffering and increase happiness.
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