A new TikTok trend is taking the internet by storm, inviting people to adopt a “very demure, very mindful” approach to their daily lives. With over 800,000 tags on TikTok and Instagram, the trend, which started as a light-hearted take on how to go about your day, has sparked a surge in interest around mindfulness practices. Google searches for “guided mindfulness meditation” have skyrocketed by 200%, and “mindfulness body and breath” searches have surged by 675% in August alone.

This trend’s popularity isn’t just about social media buzz – it’s also resonating with a broader audience. Health organisations like the American Cancer Society have even jumped on board, promoting mindfulness as a way to support a healthy lifestyle. But beyond its appeal in promoting general wellness, experts are highlighting how mindfulness can play a crucial role in improving sleep quality.

How mindfulness can enhance your sleep routine

Experts at Bensons for Beds are advocating for the integration of mindfulness practices into bedtime routines to help people achieve better, more restorative sleep. Mindfulness, they say, can prepare both the body and mind for sleep, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

Courtney-Red Veitch, Chief Sleep Officer at Bensons for Beds, emphasises the importance of mindfulness for both mental health and sleep. “Our mental health is so dependent on good sleep and vice-versa. Being mindful at bedtime and developing healthy habits as part of a wind-down routine could truly transform your wellbeing,” she says. Veitch has incorporated mindfulness into her own bedtime routine, including tidying her space and writing a gratitude note before bed, which she says has significantly improved her sleep quality.

5 ways meditation can improve your sleep

Research backs up the benefits of mindfulness for sleep, with studies showing that sleep meditation can effectively reduce insomnia and fatigue.

Here are five key ways meditation can enhance your sleep:

1. Promotes relaxation. Meditation helps relax the mind and body, especially if stress is keeping you awake.
2. Improves nervous system control. By calming the autonomic nervous system, meditation reduces the chances of waking up during the night.
3. Boosts sleep hormones. Meditation increases serotonin, a precursor to melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep.
4. Activates sleep-related brain areas. Meditation can stimulate the brain regions that control sleep, aiding in a quicker transition to sleep.
5. Reduces heart rate and blood pressure. These physical changes contribute to a more peaceful, undisturbed sleep.

Getting started with sleep meditation

For those new to mindfulness, Bensons for Beds suggests three types of meditation to kickstart your sleep routine:

• Guided sleep meditation. Ideal for beginners, guided meditations lead you step-by-step through the process, often incorporating soothing visualisations.
• Mindfulness meditation. This self-guided practice focuses on breathing and present-moment awareness. By concentrating on your breath, you can gradually quiet the mind and ease into sleep.
• Body scan meditation. This practice helps release physical tension by bringing awareness to different parts of the body, encouraging relaxation from head to toe.

Veitch concludes with a simple yet powerful suggestion: “Practising mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular as people discover its benefits. Being demure and mindful at bedtime could revolutionise your sleep – why not give it a try tonight?”

This trend may have started as a TikTok sensation, but its potential to improve your health and well-being, particularly your sleep, makes it well worth exploring.