How can I sleep better?

What Gurudev says

You know the feeling: your body is tired, but your mind is still running through thoughts, desires or unfinished business? Gurudev makes clear exactly why that disturbs your sleep.

True liberation is to be free from the past and the future. If you go to sleep with some desire, mental agitation or disturbance, you cannot sleep deeply. The more you are restless, the more difficult it becomes for you to sleep. If you drop everything before sleeping, then only you will be able to rest.

From Gurudev's wisdom archive — "Meditation is the art of doing nothing" (2022-10-11)

For Gurudev, it's not tiredness alone that decides how well you sleep — it's what you're still carrying in your mind when you go to bed.

You know days when you either just worked or did almost nothing — and still don't feel truly rested afterwards? Gurudev talks about a balance that's bigger than sleep alone.

Balance in activity, balance in food, balance in your rest and sleep will bring the equilibrium, the balance, the union within you.

From a talk on the Ashtavakra Gita — "Dissolving the Doer", 00:10:26

For Gurudev, sleep doesn't stand alone — it works together with activity, food and rest. It's this interplay that brings inner balance.

You know the feeling of lying awake at night because something still feels unfinished in your head? Gurudev describes falling asleep itself as a daily practice of letting go.

Whether you like it or not, every night before going to bed you renounce everything. If you don’t renounce, you won’t be able to sleep. Insomnia is a sign of non-renunciation.

From Gurudev's wisdom archive — "The Art of Letting Go" (2023-11-26)

Every night, you let something go anyway, whether consciously or not — Gurudev's invitation is to consciously take part in that process instead of resisting it. If sleep problems continue over a longer time, it's worth having that checked by a doctor as well.

What you can do

1. Consciously set down what's on your mind before you go to sleep. Take a few minutes to let go of unfulfilled desires, unfinished thoughts or the day itself before you lie down.
2. Pay attention to balance between activity and rest. Neither constant tension nor pure inactivity brings you into balance, for Gurudev — both need their measure.
3. Practise letting go at night instead of fighting it. Think of falling asleep as a kind of daily renouncing of what the day has brought.
4. Bring balance to your diet and daily rhythm too. For Gurudev, restful sleep is tied to the interplay of every area of life, not just what happens in the evening.
5. Observe inner restlessness instead of suppressing it. The more consciously you notice what's keeping you awake, the easier it becomes to let it go again in the evening.

Frequently asked questions

What helps against racing thoughts before falling asleep? Gurudev explains that mental restlessness or unresolved matters carried to bed prevent deep sleep — only once you set everything down before sleeping can you truly rest. He also shows that thoughts don't really belong to you; they have their own way and come and go on their own, a reason not to hold onto them so tightly.

What can I do when worries keep me awake at night? Here too, Gurudev points to consciously setting down restlessness and worry before sleeping as the condition for real rest. He adds that worries often ease when you become aware of how fleeting your own life is — that view can help give them less weight.

How do I get out of a disrupted sleep rhythm? Gurudev sees a disrupted rhythm as a sign of missing balance between activity, food, rest and sleep. Instead of forcing any single area, he advises bringing the interplay of all four back into balance — for him, that's what creates the inner union that carries a stable rhythm.

How can I manage my energy more consciously throughout the day? Balance between activity and rest is the foundation, for Gurudev, for handling your own energy more consciously. He also points out that it helps to withdraw inward again and again — even ordinary things like eating consciously or listening to music, done briefly and mindfully, can bring back that feeling of arriving at yourself.

Related questions

• Why can't I switch off at night?
• What helps against racing thoughts before falling asleep?
• What can I do when worries keep me awake at night?
• Does meditation before sleep really help?
• Sleep — overview

Sources

The quotes on this page come from:

• Gurudev's wisdom archive — "Meditation is the art of doing nothing" (2022-10-11)
• Ashtavakra Gita — "Dissolving the Doer" (AG 15), 00:10:26–00:10:43
• Gurudev's wisdom archive — "The Art of Letting Go" (2023-11-26)