Sleep Myths

Hello, it's Eve here. And welcome to this guided meditation. Before we get into the exercise, I thought it might be helpful to talk about some of the common misconceptions when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. I think we all have our own version of what we think works but there are some common myths out there. And one of the biggest ones is that you need a solid eight hours of sleep every night. And if you don't get that, you're doomed for terrible sleep. The good news is that is not the case for everyone. It turns out that the sweet spot is somewhere between seven and nine hours. And more than that, it will change over a lifetime. So if you're not getting eight hours right now, don't worry. It may be that that is not what your body needs. The flip side to this is that getting too much sleep can actually cause health issues. But more important than counting the hours is listening to what your body needs. Tuning in to how you're feeling is a great indicator that you may need more rest, or maybe even a little less. And a really great way to connect with the body is through meditation, which is what we're going to do in a moment. But I wanted to share one more myth, and it's something that I hear from a lot of people, and it's that meditation makes them fall asleep. Now this is not a bad thing, as it's signaling to the body that you're tired. But it's not the meditation that is making you fall asleep. In stopping and pausing, you are giving your body and mind some much needed rest. And it's very common that any tiredness you are carrying will also surface. You know, we lead very busy lives. And for many of us, we are often in doing mode, not being mode. When we meditate, we are in being mode, being present with the mind and the body as it is. And we're not really used to pausing and stopping. So it's really a great way to truly understand how we're feeling. So if you do find that you are starting to nod off in the exercise, firstly it's okay. But perhaps just adjust your posture, maybe blink your eyes a few times and wiggle your fingers and toes and just come back to the exercise. So let's take the next few minutes to connect the mind and body so we can listen to what the body needs. Taking a moment to get comfortable wherever you're sitting. Starting with the eyes open, taking a moment to pause and to take in the space around you, noticing what you can see, not staring any one thing, but a general awareness of the space that you're in. And now I invite you to notice what you can hear. When we're in doing mode, it's almost like our hearing is turned...