A simple breath-and-body meditation can help you shift attention away from the day and toward rest. There’s no need to force sleep: settle in, follow the steps gently, and let drowsiness arrive in its own time.
Get comfortable in bed and let your hands rest wherever they feel natural. Close your eyes, or soften your gaze. Notice the support beneath you, then take three unhurried breaths. Let each exhale be a little longer than the inhale, without straining or holding your breath.
For the next two minutes, move your attention slowly from your forehead down to your feet. At each stop—jaw, shoulders, hands, belly, legs—notice any tension and invite that area to loosen. You don’t have to make every sensation disappear; simply soften what you can and continue.
Return to the feeling of breathing. Silently say “in” as you breathe in and “rest” as you breathe out. If a thought appears, acknowledge it without working through it, then come back to the next exhale. When you lose count or forget the words, start again gently. There is no score to keep.
Keep the routine low-effort: dim the room, get settled, and begin before you feel frustrated about being awake. If focusing on your breath feels uncomfortable, use the sensation of the mattress supporting you as your anchor instead. If you’re still alert when the five minutes end, repeat the body scan or let your attention rest on quiet, ordinary sounds.
For a broader wind-down routine, explore our Deep Rest Sleep Meditation Toolkit 5-in-1 Night Bundle. You can use a short meditation as one calm, repeatable part of your evening, rather than treating it as a test you need to pass.
Choose one or two quiet steps you can repeat each night, such as dimming the lights and taking a few slow breaths. Keeping the routine simple makes it easier to return to, even on busy evenings.
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