10 Most Effective Sleep Hacks for Lazy People in 2023 (Meditative Approach to Overcoming Insomnia and Achieving Deep Sleep)

most effective sleep hacks - a young girl is sleeping on a white bed

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10 most effective sleep hacks for lazy people (meditative approach to overcoming insomnia)

Do you have trouble having a good deep sleep? Frequently wake up during the night and have a hard time falling asleep again? Feel tired no matter how many hours you’ve slept? Struggle with fully letting go of your day and settle your mind?

You’re not alone. Almost all people have trouble sleeping at one point or another. 

According to the National Sleep Foundation poll, more than 50 percent of the people reported at least one symptom of insomnia at least several times a week within one year.

Another report says 30 to 35 percent of adults have difficulty sleeping and 10 percent suffer from chronic insomnia.

Our system does the recovery and rejuvenation process both physically and mentally when we’re asleep.

And, sleep debt is cumulative; the interest we pay is high. We cannot compensate for it on the next sleep. The longer we delay fixing this problem, the worse it will be for us.

Therefore, good-quality sleep is irreplaceable!

insonnia duck - a cartoon duck having insomnia

If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation and you do nothing about it, in due times, it will have a serious heavy toll! Totally not worth it.

The fact is, you can do something about it! 

And, it’s not that hard.

In this post, I’m gonna share with you the most effective sleep hacks that I find simple and practical to overcome my sleep problems. So, yes, it’s based on my personal experience using a powerful meditative approach.

Tips and tricks are already floating around the internet so I don’t feel the need to include them all in this post. Instead, I’m going to focus on the most effective hacks and include only the most essential ones that I find simple, practical and relevant to the technique.

I’d try to make this article as short as possible so I can bring you directly to the technique fast.

Let’s start.

What is preventing a good sleep?

a girl is having trouble sleeping

Nowadays most of us don’t get enough sleep every night or if we do, it is shallow and restless, so we wake up still tired.

By “enough” I mean more on the quality than on the quantity.

In this digital age, we live in constant and frequent “updates.” Our mobile phones keep giving us notifications with updates on news, social media, emails, etc.

As a result, several factors are potentially preventing us from having a good quality sleep:

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Depression
  • Panic attacks at night
  • Your surroundings like light, noise, temperature, etc.
  • Changes in sleep schedule, traveling to different time zones
  • Medical conditions: high blood pressure, nasal allergies, gastrointestinal, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, asthma, chronic pain, low back pain, neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, etc.
  • Medications for: common cold, nasal allergies, high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, birth control, depression, asthma
  • TV, movies, news, social media, emails, games especially close to bedtime
  • Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol
  • Heavy meals close to bedtime

If you think medical conditions are your problems and or you’re on medications, please always consult your doctors or other qualified healthcare providers for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Please read our disclaimer.

My point is, you need to take the necessary steps to correct and alleviate the potential causes. 

Regarding the list above, lifestyle modification may be needed.

Motivation is certainly needed but, don’t rely solely on motivation. Instead, you need to take advantage of something much stronger. It’s your HABIT!

Now, it’s time to begin building your motivation. That’s what the following section is for; to review what sleep deprivation can do to you.

How a lack of good quality sleep can harm you

lack of sleep & tired - a close up of drowsy man holding his face

Lack of good quality sleep can harm you on many aspects:

  1. Physical health
    • Greater risk of heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s
    • Increases inflammation and the risk of certain types of cancer
    • Weakens your immune system
    • Decreases the ability of your body to repair itself
    • Shortens your life span (sleep quality is a marker of biological youth)
    • Compromises your ability to heal and recover
  2. Mental health
    • Greater risk of heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s
    • Increases inflammation and the risk of certain types of cancer
    • Weakens your immune system
    • Decreases the ability of your body to repair itself
    • Shortens your life span (sleep quality is a marker of biological youth)
    • Compromises your ability to heal and recover
  3. Performance, work, and learning
    • Reduces alertness and shortens your attention span
    • Makes it harder to concentrate
    • Shortens reaction time
    • Increases the chance of making mistakes
    • Increases the chance of accidents
    • Weakens your memory (the brain consolidates memories in sleep)
    • Decreases your ability to learn and solve problems creatively
  4. Life and wellbeing
    • Increases irritability and aggression
    • Increases the likelihood of getting mentally “stuck” on one thought
    • Contributes to poorer judgment, leading to bad decisions and regret
    • Reduces empathy, leading to poorer relationships and communication
    • Makes you more clumsy in general
    • Lowers sex drive and fertility

As you can see, sleep is essential to keep us alive, fully functional, and well. It is an essential pillar of health and vitality. It’s pretty hard to be happy, healthy and fulfilled in life when the base of our energy and rest is not working well.

Next, let’s build your motivation even further.

How good quality sleep can benefit you

a vibrant girl working in front of computer, fresh & energized

Whether you realize it or not, good quality sleep can bring tremendous desired effects.

Below is a quick recap, or you can check this post for the full explanation:

  1. Emotional well being
    • Makes you happier
    • Less depression and anxiety
    • Less irritable
  2. Fitness and physical benefits
    • Best way to stay fit
    • Builds muscle easier
    • Healthier skin
    • You’ll see better
    • Reduces pain
    • Weight control
  3. Less risk of disease
  4. Performance and intellectual ability
    • Learn better
    • Safer driver
    • Easier to speak
    • Less alcohol abuse
    • Increase work productivity
    • Better reaction times
    • Fewer dangerous mistakes
    • Improves memory
    • Easier on your wallet
  5. Improving your relationship with your significant other
    • Better sex drive
    • Better communication
    • More patient
  6. Being a better parent

But what to do when you want to sleep and yet you just can’t?

That brings us to the next section; let’s hack it!

The most effective sleep hacks

a man in red shirt standing in front of blue wall, expressing happiness

There are lots of tips and tricks already floating around the internet. Including them all here would be impractical. And, it wouldn’t be a smart and effective hack.

But these are the essential ones:

  1. Have a fixed bedtime schedule.
    Go to sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time. Go to bed only when you feel drowsy or tired. Avoid snoozing your alarm.
  2. Do regular and moderate exercise.
    Morning and or evening is the best time for exercise. Don’t do it close to bedtime and don’t overdo it! Because it will be harder to sleep if you’re too tired.
  3. Avoid tv, news, nicotine, social media, emails, games 2 hours before bedtime. They tend to make you harder to calm the mind.
  4. Limit caffeine and alcohol intake
    Sensitivity to caffeine and alcohol is different for every person but, in general, avoid coffee and or any alcohol drinks 4 hours before bedtime. You know your body better so you can adjust accordingly.
  5. Avoid heavy meals 4 hours before bed
    The best practice is to eat lightly for dinner. No snacks close to bedtime.
  6. Sleep in a dark room. The lighting of your bedroom should be dark or at least dim. I know some people are not sensitive to the lighting during sleep. They can sleep in the sunlight! That being said, the experts say that the production of serotonin and melatonin hormones that help with our rest is sensitive to light. And, since it’s easy to do; practically, just turn off the light; why don’t give it a try?
  7. Adjust the temperature of your bedroom to your most comfortable level; not too hot, not too cold. Some experts suggest a certain degree of Fahrenheit. But, I think it better to experiment, to find the most relaxing for you. I don’t think it’s a fixed value. It depends on your body’s condition, environment, and personal preference. Keep in mind that our body’s temperature tends to drop during sleep as well as the room’s temperature during the night so, don’t set it too cold.
  8. Do sitting meditation for 15 to 20 minutes before going to bed.
    You can use the mindfulness of the breath technique or any other technique you find the most effective.
  9. Maintain the mindfulness of your breath as you’re lying down on the bed until you fall asleep.
  10. Use your built motivation to develop the proper sleeping habit
    If you can maintain this routine for 66 days, usually, the new habit will be instilled.

As a side note, I don’t put eliminate as much noise as possible on the list because a lot of the times it’s out of our control: snoring partners, noisy neighbors, street noises, etc. But, in cases you can, do it anyway. Though, it helps, I don’t think it essential enough to put it on the list.

It may seem simple but, to execute it properly needs a certain alteration in your daily routine and consistency. Try to strive for 66 days. Why 66 days? More on this later in the conclusion.

All those hacks above work well together though you may not need all of them. For example, maybe you don’t drink coffee or alcohol. Or, maybe social media and news aren’t your problems though they are for many.

Now, since my blog is about meditative lifestyle and harnessing its benefits for everyday life, let’s talk about how to use the meditation technique for better sleep.

Since many people feel sleepiness or drowsiness while practicing meditation, we will use this to our advantage 😄.

How to use meditation as an effective sleep hack

close up of meditating boy statue

Basically, you just make a habit to do sitting meditation for 15 to 20 minutes and then maintain that meditative state as you’re lying down on your bed until you fall asleep.

This routine will settle down your mind and body and make it conducive for rest.

Maybe, in the beginning, you will feel 15 minutes are too long. Then, start with 5 minutes and increase it gradually by 1 minute every 2 or 3 days. You may go a bit faster whenever you feel comfortable. Yes, it happens as you’re gaining momentum.

How you do it?

Step 1: Start with sitting

To avoid a hurried state of mind, I suggest starting preparing 30 minutes before your bedtime.

Find a comfortable location with minimum distractions beside or near your bed.

Turn off the light.

You can sit cross-legged in full-lotus or half-lotus position on a cushion. Or, if you’re not used to it, just use a chair but keep your spine upright in a relaxed and natural way, and don’t lean back.

Rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing downward. Or, palms facing upward, on top of each other, in front of your abdomen, whichever you feel most comfortable.

Eyes closed or half-closed.

meditation postures - full lotus, half lotus, burmese, on a stool, on a chair

Take your time to find the most relaxed position, as comfortable as possible.

Breathe normally and naturally. No need to regulate your breath.

Try to maintain awareness of your breath for 15 to 20 minutes. You can choose either the sensation of the air flowing in and out at the nostrils or your abdomen moving up and down. Whichever you feel more comfortable.

If you find the mind wanders away into thoughts, feelings, memory, etc. gently and immediately bring your attention back to your breath.

Usually, after 15 to 20 minutes, drowsiness starts to creep in.

Step 2: Gently move to your bed

While maintaining the mindfulness of the breath, gently move your body and lie down on your bed.

Keep awareness of your breath until you fall asleep.

You will know if you sleep well.

Important note during meditation

  • Let go of everything
    Let go of any thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, etc. and everything during the day. Tell yourself it’s ok because you’ll pick them up when you wake up.
  • Have no goals
    Never try to force sleep. Understand that sleep is a natural process. You will fall asleep when your body needs it. If you don’t fall asleep, maybe there’s excess energy stored in your body. You may need to increase the intensity of your regular exercise a bit next time.

It is also important to note that to have smooth meditation experiences, proper preparation is needed. These practical sitting meditation preparation exercises can effectively increase the level of comfort when you meditate thus help to get good quality sleep.

Indicators of a good sleep

  • No dreams. The last thing you remember is resting your body on the bed.
  • No wake-ups in the middle of the night. Meaning, your sleep is uninterrupted.
  • You wake up fresh and energized in the morning.
  • During the day, you feel sharp, less negative emotion, less irritation and highly energized.
  • Your body feels stronger and more comfortable.

Conclusion and recommendations

you can do it - can't to can

The combination of the altered daily routine plus meditation works extremely well and incredibly effective for me. Later, I found out many other people also use a similar approach. I recommend you give it a try.

You may not experience results immediately. Although, sometimes you do. The key here is having patience and practicing it consistently. And, without expectations!

Expectations will only make the mind tense and make you harder to relax.

This technique is meant to calm the mind. So, it’s only natural that after the mind is settled down, you’ll fall asleep easily.

I must say, meditation is a very very powerful tool. But, you’ll need to practice consistently to experience any positive results. You’ll need persistence and determination at least in the beginning.

So, challenge yourself to maintain this new routine for 66 days. Previously, Maxwell Maltz said 21 days are needed to instill a new habit. Newer study says 66 days. Whatever. I’m sure after 21 days, it’ll get easier to continue.

I’d admit, following a simple meditation guide can be a challenge. For this reason, I highly recommend this online meditation course called the Deep Sleep by Giovanni Dienstmann. It is designed specifically for mastering deep sleep. You can take the course for $47. It’s a one-time payment with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

deep sleep course banner - a young girl is sleeping on the grass

But, here’s the kicker:

If you’re into this meditative approach and you intend to harness all the benefit the meditation practice has to offer, you will get much-much better value if you go for the main course called the Limitless Life program which is membership-based, starting at $29 per month, also with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Want to know the best part?

The Deep Sleep course is part of the Limitless Life program.

With the main course, you’ll have the opportunity to try several meditation techniques from different traditions so you can find one that suits you the best. 

It’s a full-featured course with a step-by-step system, teacher dialogs, and a supportive community.

Upgrade options which include individual coaching are also available.

You can read my full review here.

UPDATE 27 Feb 2020: It gets even better!

Now, you can start your 14-day trial for just $1, then pay just $29 a month after the trial ends. I guess this offer will only be available for a limited time only. So, you need to act fast!

limitless life program banner - a rocky waterfall

Optional items

Though not essential, a lot of people are reporting positive results, so, you may want to check them out:

Before we part, check this trick from the US Navy on how to fall asleep in 2 minutes:

Bear in mind, in the US Navy, they have the discipline on their physical exercise, diet, focus, etc. So, practically, they use parts if not all the hacks I outlined earlier with some modifications. Instead of mindfulness of the breath, they use visualization. And, they’re not bothered with the social media updates.

Good sleep is important for EVERYTHING! That’s why I really hope these hacks can be effective and helpful for you.

Do you have a simpler and more effective approach? Please, share it with us in the comment.

Further readings


Featured image by Claudio_Scott from Pixabay

Chris Linard

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