Cloud Hosting

Sleep was already "the new sex" well before the pandemic, but the extra elusiveness it attained thanks to COVID-19 has people everywhere up in arms.

"Coronasomnia," as it's apparently being called, is the result of stress from the pandemic as well as scrambled and unpredictable schedules and even the effects of the virus itself, researchers say.

Over the years, I've tried all kinds of things for my sleep, ranging from prescription medication to lavender "sleep spray" to a wide range of hot teas to melatonin and everything in between.

Advertisement

Scientific studies have proven that meditation holds many benefits, including stress relief, improved self-esteem, increased focus and concentration, and yes, even improved sleep.

I tried it on the suggestion of a therapist whom I was consulting with at the time, and now use it at least three to four times a week.

Although it has a Premium version that goes for $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year, it's primarily a free app, which is how I use it, and says it has 90,000 titles for use online or that can be downloaded for use offline.

My therapist had informed me that the app had quite a few resources for sleep, and when I first downloaded it, I was overwhelmed.

There are currently more than 2,200 meditations for sleep, more than 2,000 music tracks intended to help you drift off, and 146 talks listed under the topic, most of which are quite literally bedtime stories.

One additional feature on the home screen that I always find interesting is this map that lets you know how many users are on the app at any given time, how many have used it today, and how many members Insight Timer has.

The word "yoga" is what initially drew me to the program, although at the time, I had no clue what "yoga nidra" meant. It turns out that "yoga nidra" is equivalent to yogic sleep, and at least as led by Piercy, it works every time.

She then asks to set an intention (or "sankalpa" in Sanskrit) for the practice.

Next comes a series of deep breathing exercises for relaxation that center on slowing down the system by viewing oneself as part of the universe.

Piercy also offers private consultations for a fee, which I haven't sampled. The bio on her free course "Your Guide To Deeper Sleep" notes that "since joining Insight Timer three years ago Jennifer's meditations have been listened to 19 million times."

As the caregiver to my elderly mom as well as mom to a teenager in the house who's doing virtual school right now, I can tell you that I've used it more than a few times when I've desperately needed an hour's rest in the afternoon - and it works just as well to give me a refreshing nap with no "hangover" when I wake up as it does to provide a full night's sleep.

Excerpt from:
I'm an insomniac who's tried everything from meds to sleep sprays. This meditation app is the only thing that' - Business Insider India