Learn How Foundation · Free 7-day plan
Sleep meditation for calmer nights
Try this tonight: in bed, let each out-breath run a little longer than the in-breath and count ten slow breaths. The free 7-day plan (PDF) gives you one short written practice for every evening.
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A five-minute wind-down for tonight
You don’t need an app or any experience. Read these steps once in the early evening, then do them in bed with the light off and the phone out of reach.
- Put the day down. Before you lie down, write tomorrow’s first task on paper, so your mind can stop holding on to it.
- Let the bed hold you. Lie on your back and feel the weight of your head, shoulders and heels. You don’t have to relax on purpose. Just notice where your body touches the mattress.
- Lengthen the out-breath. Breathe in through the nose for about four counts and out for about six. Don’t force it. If counting feels like work, drop the numbers and simply let each exhale be slow.
- Move your attention down the body. Forehead, jaw, throat, shoulders, hands, belly, legs, feet. Stay a breath or two in each place. Where you find tension, let the next out-breath soften it a little.
- When thoughts come, let them pass. Planning and replaying the day are normal. Each time you notice you have drifted, come back to the feeling of breathing. Coming back is the practice, not a failure.
Some nights you will drift off halfway through. Other nights you will finish and still be awake. Then go through the body slowly once more, or simply rest with the breath. Lying quietly with your attention on the body is still rest.
What’s in the free 7-day plan
The plan is a short illustrated PDF. Each day has one practice that takes a few minutes and fits easily into an evening routine:
- Day 1: Focus on the breath, the anchor for everything that follows.
- Day 2: A short body check from head to toes.
- Day 3: A slow, complete body scan.
- Day 4: Mindful listening to the sounds around you.
- Day 5: Mindful walking, one slow step at a time.
- Day 6: Kind phrases for yourself and for others.
- Day 7: Watching thoughts pass like clouds, without following them.
At the end you’ll find a few reflection questions that help you choose which practices to keep.
Written, not audio
Many people search for a guided sleep meditation and end up with a recording that runs all night. This plan works differently. You read a short practice, then do it on your own in the dark, without a screen. After a week the steps are yours, and you can use them on any night, anywhere.
A few honest notes
Meditation is an attention practice, not a medical treatment. If poor sleep goes on for weeks or affects your days, talk to a doctor. The plan is free and comes from Learn How Foundation, a non-profit that writes its own practical guides. You can unsubscribe with one click.