Sadness is a feeling that all human beings experience at one point. Maybe you've just lost a loved one, ended a relationship, or even had a bad day. Maybe you also can't pinpoint an exact reason for your sadness.

All of it is perfectly normal. However, there may be days when sadness can sometimes feel like it's taking over your life. For some, sadness turns into depression, leading to negative thoughts about themselves and their lives. For others, sadness disrupts sleep and results in a whole host of other health problems.

In this article, we take a closer look at how sadness affects sleep and why sleeplessness and sadness often go hand-in-hand. We also provide tips on getting a better night's sleep when sadness keeps you up at night, including an introduction to guided meditations.

Meditation for Sadness

A critical tool for both sleep issues and depression is meditation. Meditation has proven effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. It also helps with sleep difficulties, possibly because it reduces mental health symptoms and relaxes the mind and body.

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation on Sleep

Meditation is a practice that can be used to focus and calm the mind. It is an effective treatment for various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.

Additionally, meditation has also been shown to improve sleep quality. Newer research indicates that mindfulness meditation is a powerful tool to add to standard therapies for managing depression and sadness.

Studies of brain imaging show that meditation changes the brain in ways that help manage depression. The changes persist even when not meditating for those who regularly practice meditation.

This means that meditation can have a long-lasting impact on depression and may even help prevent the relapse of depressive episodes.

Here are other benefits of meditation:

Meditation Can Help You Control Your Stress Response

When you're feeling sad, finding ways to manage your stress is important. Meditation can help you by teaching you how to control your stress response. This means that when you're feeling sad, you'll be better equipped to deal with the stress and not let it overwhelm you.

Meditation Can Help You Regulate Your Emotions

If you're struggling with sadness, it's likely that your emotions are all over the place. Meditation can help you regulate your emotions so that you're not as easily overwhelmed by them. This can be a great way to deal with sadness more constructively.

Meditation Can Help You Focus Your Thoughts

Sadness can make it hard to focus your thoughts. But meditation can help you learn how to focus your thoughts and be more present in the moment. This can be a great way to deal with sadness and find some relief.

If you're new to meditation, many resources are available to help you get started, including apps, books, and websites. You can also hire a meditation teacher to help you make the first step.

Sadness Meditation: How To Get Started

First, try regular meditation practice. Meditating just once may help at the moment, but you'll get more lasting, long-term results if you genuinely learn to meditate. Meditation before bed is a great way to turn mindfulness into a regular practice and use meditation as a sleep aid.

All meditations are essentially the same, but they come in different flavors. A guided meditation focuses your mind in a particular way to address your current needs. For instance, when you are grieving, struggling with an episode of depression, or simply feeling down, a meditation designed to comfort you in a time of sadness can be a great help.

Many meditations will ask you to focus on physical sensations, breathe slowly, and not pressure yourself to perfection. As you meditate more, you will learn to take deep breaths and be more aware of the bodily sensations you experience.

A meditation that utilizes the Buddhist idea of Tonglen, giving, and receiving, helps alleviate sadness. The basic idea is that by wishing someone else comfort, you, too, will receive it. Embrace and be open to your sorrow and imagine all the other people feeling something similar at the same moment.

A Tonglen meditation may ask you to consider someone else's suffering, to breathe in their pain, sadness, and darkness, and to breathe out relief and relaxation. Focusing on pain is counterintuitive, but according to Buddhist practice, it puts your suffering in perspective and provides relief.

The next time sadness or depression keeps you up at night, try BetterSleep's Comfort for Sadness meditation practice. It will walk you through Tonglen thinking and mindfulness breathing to bring relief and a better night's sleep.

How Sadness Impacts Sleep

While it's perfectly normal to have trouble sleeping when you feel sad, the disruption in their sleep can lead to even more sadness and anxiety for many people. This is because lack of sleep can cause negative changes in our mood.

Research has established the link between sleep and mood, showing that poor sleep can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression.

If you struggle with these two, you are at a greater risk of insomnia and other sleep issues. And, if you have a hard time sleeping or don't get enough quality sleep, you have a greater chance of spiraling into depression. Managing your sleepcan help break the cycle.

In addition to impacting our mood, sleep deprivation can also physically affect our bodies. These include increased stress hormones like cortisol, a weakened immune system, and increased inflammation. All of these can further contribute to sadness and anxiety.

Tips for Getting Better Sleep When You're Sad

Your sadness may be keeping you up at night, but there are things you can do to get some relief. Below are a few tips for getting better sleep when sadness disrupts your rest.

Make Sleep a Priority

Whether you feel happy or sad, it's important to prioritize sleep. This means setting aside time for sleep and making sure you're getting enough hours of sleep each night. It's not enough to just go to bed early; you also need to make sure you're sleeping soundly throughout. You'll know you had a good night's sleep if you feel rested when you wake up.

Try to Stick to a Sleep Schedule

When sadness disrupts your sleep, staying in bed and sleeping all day can be tempting. But this will only make it harder to fall asleep at night. Instead, try to stick to a regular sleep schedule as best you can. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, including on the weekends.

Work on Your Sleep Hygiene

In addition to following a sleep schedule, there are other things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene. This includes avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, limiting screen time in the evening, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine.

Exercise During the Day

Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality. So, if you're feeling sad and struggling to sleep at night, make sure you're getting some exercise during the day. Ensure you don't exercise too close to bedtime, making it harder to fall asleep.

Choose a Soothing Activity Before Bed

To fall asleep, your body needs to relax. So, it's important to do something calming before bed. This could be reading a book, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music. Find what works for you and make it part of your nightly routine.

Start a New Hobby

Your mood affects your daily routine. Finding things that bring you joy can be hard when you feel sad or down. But developing a new hobby or interest can help. A new activity can also give you something to look forward to daily. And, to top it all off, having a new hobby can improve your sleep. Your mind is exercised, and your thoughts are refocused so that you can get those much-needed zzzs at the end of the day.

Surround Yourself with Supportive People

If you want to overcome a bout of sadness, do not isolate yourself. Instead, surround yourself with people who love and support you. These people can provide a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on when needed. They can also let you be alone for a while but would not let you be alone for long periods.

Sleep can come by easily when you know that you have people behind you and supporting you.

On top of these tips, many people have found relief from their sadness through meditation. Below, we discuss how meditation can help with sadness and sleep.

When to Turn to a Mental Health Professional

If you're struggling with sadness or depression, it's important to seek help from a mental health professional. For example, a therapist can provide guidance and support as you work through your feelings. If you're not sure where to start, ask your doctor for a referral or look for a therapist in your area. It may seem daunting initially, but many have found relief with just one session.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that can be particularly helpful for depression. CBT focuses on changing the negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to depression. CBT can help you identify and challenge the negative thoughts that make you feel bad if you're dealing with sadness. Your therapist will know how to facilitate CBT, and you can ask if it's the right therapy for you.

Cried in Your Dream? Uncover Its MeaningAlong with meditation, therapy can be a powerful tool for managing sadness. Don't hesitate to reach out for help if you're feeling down.