Are you having trouble falling asleep or getting a restful night’s sleep? Maybe it’s because you can’t turn your mind off or perhaps something in your body is out of balance. For so many of us restful sleep is elusive, preventing us from experiencing the deep, restorative rest we need. I, along with my clients, have found that sound baths enhance the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
How Sound Healing Works to Improve Sleep
Everything in the universe is in constant motion and vibration, including our bodies, minds, and even our emotions. External forces, such as stress or anxiety, can lead to imbalances that manifest in a range of physical and mental health issues, with poor sleep being one of them. Sound healing helps restore balance and harmony through vibrations. Using sound, we can change the rhythms of the brain, heart, and respiratory system. Here are some specific ways that sound baths contribute to better sleep.
Balance the Nervous System
The sounds from the crystal singing bowls calm the nervous system, allowing the body to enter a more restful state. The tones and vibrations help lower heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and promote an overall sense of tranquility. As the body relaxes, the mind follows, helping you unwind and prepare for sleep.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
For many people, stress, anxiety, and racing thoughts keep the mind alert and active, preventing restful sleep. A sound bath helps to quiet the brain chatter. The tones and frequencies of the crystal singing bowls help induce a meditative state, creating a sense of calm that allows you to let go of the stressors and get ready for sleep. Studies have shown that sound therapy can reduce stress and anxiety, both of which contribute to insomnia.
Promote Deep Relaxation
The sounds and vibrations emitted during a sound bath can induce a deep state of meditation. This is particularly true when I play two different tones with slightly different frequencies at the same time. The brain interprets the two sounds as one beat, giving it an entirely new frequency called a binaural beat. Studies have found binaural beats can produce physical benefits, including deeper sleep. Binaural beats help to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain and can shift the brain into brainwave states associated with deep rest, such as the Theta (4-7Hz) and Delta (.5-3Hz) brainwave states. Theta waves are typically present during light sleep, while delta waves are dominant during the deepest stages of sleep. Through these sound waves, sound baths can help you enter a more restful and regenerative sleep cycle.
Clear Emotional Blockages
Unresolved feelings and emotional stress can contribute to sleep issues. Sound baths help release emotional blockages. The vibrations from the sound waves interact with the body’s energy fields, encouraging the dislodging of negative energy that might be blocking relaxation. Once the blockages are cleared, the body can more easily enter a state of calm, making it easier to fall asleep.
Sound Baths Specifically Targeting Sleep Issues
As a health coach and sound healer, I work with clients to improve their sleep patterns. I start with an intake to determine if there are any underlying causes, and use that information to facilitate a targeted sound bath. Crystal singing bowls come in a variety of notes that match to the musical scale – C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, and B. Each of the seven main notes relates to the different chakras of the body:
- Crown – B
- Third Eye – A
- Throat – G
- Heart – F
- Solar Plexus – E
- Navel – D
- Sacral – C
Using the right bowls allows me to produce targeted results. I have worked with experts in the field to curate a set of crystal bowls that are pure in tone and allow me to foster healing, balancing, and deep meditation. For example, I have an endocrine bowl set that allows me to focus on bringing balance and harmony to these glands. The pineal and hypothalamus glands are both related to sleep. The pineal gland has a great deal to do with sleep function and circadian rhythms and regulates levels of melatonin. The hypothalamus gland, which is responsible for controlling the endocrine system, has an effect on sleep patterns. Both of these glands align with the Third Eye Chakra and the note A#, so I make sure to focus on my A# bowl during the sound bath session.
I also focus on breathwork. Many of us don’t breathe properly. We tend to breathe from the upper diaphragm, and this type of breathing mimics the fight or flight response. I guide my clients in long, deep breathing, which has three parts:
- Taking a long, deep breath in, breathing in as deeply as possible, noticing how the belly rises.
- Breathing into the chest, inhaling all the way down to the belly, filling up the chest with the inhalation, then exhaling through the mouth to release.
- Breathing into the clavicle, inhaling all the way down to the belly, filling up the chest with the inhalation, then taking an additional sip of air and filling yourself completely with breath; then exhaling through the mouth to release the breath.
Once I walk my clients through these steps, I have them combine all three parts into one long, deep breath.
Combining the right bowls together with binaural beats and breathwork in my sound bath sessions helps clients sleep better. Sound healing is a gentle, yet profound method of improving sleep and overall well-being. Whether you are struggling with stress, anxiety, or simply want to reach a deeper level of relaxation, sound baths can help bring balance and harmony, leading to more restful sleep. While many people experience sleep benefits from a group sound bath, private sound baths specifically targeting sound baths may be more beneficial.
If you’re ready to experience the transformative effects of sound healing for yourself, I invite you to join one of my group sound baths or connect with me to schedule a private sleep target session.
Follow us @HarmoniousHealingByLisa