Self-compassion meditation for insomnia (7 min), early on

About this practice

When insomnia shows up early on, this 7-minute self-compassion session gives you somewhere to put it down. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: insomnia

Insomnia is often maintained by the fear of not sleeping. Anticipating a bad night raises arousal at bedtime, which produces the bad night.

It tends to show up as:

• Dreading bedtime
• Hours awake with a busy mind
• Sleeping worse as the week goes on

Removing the pressure to sleep is the active ingredient. This gives you something to do that is not trying.

Doing this in the morning

• Do it before checking your phone — the first minutes set the tone for the rest
• Sitting up is better than lying down, or you will drift back to sleep
• Light on your face helps more than any practice

Mornings can become a performance of productive habits. This one does not need to be done well.

How self-compassion works

Self-compassion practice changes the tone of the inner voice rather than the content of the thoughts. It uses the same warmth and steadiness you would offer a friend, applied without requiring you to have earned it.

• Use the words you would actually say to someone you love
• Ask what you need, not what you deserve
• A hand on the chest or belly gives warmth and pressure a place to land

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Then find the nearest sound. It's probably your own breathing.
2. 0:12Nothing here needs to be efficient.
3. 0:22Nothing here is a test of concentration. Drifting off is part of it.
4. 0:35For the next few minutes, the only job is to notice what's already happening.
5. 0:49Notice the small pause before your body decides to breathe in again.
6. 1:02If you're holding your breath at the top, stop. There's no need to hold anything.
7. 1:16Feel the skin around your eyes. Let the muscles behind them go loose.
8. 1:29Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
9. 1:41Let your throat soften. There's nothing to swallow right now.
10. 1:53Notice how the counting of hours until morning changes shape when you stop resisting it. Usually it gets smaller, not bigger.
11. 2:10Each time your mind hands you the frustration of not sleeping, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
12. 2:29Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
13. 2:42No need to open your eyes yet.
14. 2:52Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
15. 3:07Notice your fingers, one by one, starting with the little finger.
16. 3:19If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
17. 3:32A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
18. 3:43If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
19. 3:56If you're bored, stay with the boredom for a moment. It's usually thinner than it looks.
20. 4:11Notice your breathing getting quieter on its own, without you deciding anything.
21. 4:24Let me stop talking. Follow the breath instead.
22. 4:35When the wide-awake mind at 2am presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
23. 4:54You do not have to like the counting of hours until morning to breathe through it. Liking was never the requirement.
24. 5:11Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
25. 5:25If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else.
26. 5:38Notice the tone of your own inner voice. Is it kind?
27. 5:50Nothing to follow for a moment except your own breathing.
28. 6:02There's no need to try harder than this.
29. 6:13Let the next breath be the start of the rest of the day.
30. 6:26Come back at your own speed. The room will wait.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.