Meditation is one of the practices many people have started in a crazy world that produces tons of anxiety and stress.
But if you’re anything like us, you probably have noticed that you sometimes feel very tired after meditation. This is not something to worry about. It’s fairly common.
This is because the brain waves during meditation mimic the stages of sleep that we have every night. That means our bodies are naturally going to become more drowsy, even though most people talk about being rejuvenated after meditation.
This rejuvenation takes time to gain because you have to train your body to understand that when you’re in this state, it is not necessarily time to sleep.
But to make you feel better about wanting to take a nap back after meditating, we thought we would go through some more information for you.
Is it Normal?
As you begin to meditate, you are calming your mind and putting yourself in what people like to call an end state. This Zen state, though, is nothing more than calming your thoughts, which signals your brain to begin creating certain types of waves.
These are the same waves produced as you begin to fall deeper and deeper into sleep, finally reaching the deepest level. So because your brain is making those waves, your body is responding to it via the hormones released during those waves.
In other words, meditation creates an atmosphere that prepares your body to fall asleep. So, yes, because it does this, it is very normal for individuals, especially when they first start meditating, to feel like they need to take a little siesta after the meditation.
Why Does it Happen?
Of course, the truth is that other factors can play a part in creating this feeling of wanting to take a nap after your meditation.
Not only is your body mimicking processes that it only goes through when you’re going to sleep, but external and environmental factors can also play a role.
Here are a few reasons why you may be feeling drained after what should be an energizing meditation session:
- The most common and probably the most often associated with this situation would be that you just have a hectic life. If you’re constantly on the go, sitting down and taking the time to meditate will relax you.
With energy expended before the meditational practice, once you’ve relaxed, of course, you’re going to want to lay down for a bit.
- I know they’re factors, maybe your sleep quality. Whether you’re getting enough sleep or not, if you’re not sleeping well, your body does not have the time to rejuvenate.
Lulling yourself into this relaxed mode is signaling to your body that it’s time to get some sleep, and if you haven’t had enough, it’s gonna be very easy for you to doze off after meditation.
There are many other reasons, like a heavy meal, but these two may be the largest contributors to the lack of energy after meditation.
Does This Happen to Everyone?
When you first start, many people suffer from fatigue after meditation. This is because their body is not used to the processes that meditation brings with it. Of course, this may depend on your meditation type, but in general, it does happen to almost everyone.
That being said, as you begin to hone your meditation practice, this occurrence should happen less and less unless those external environmental factors play a part. Once you’ve touched your brain that this is a habit and not a signal to go to sleep, you should be fine.
Can You Prevent This From Happening?
You can definitely prevent it from happening by monitoring the environmental contributors to this, as well as consistency in your practice.
Making sure that you do it every day or every couple of days and keeping a habit can teach your brain not to associate this activity with bedtime.
Tricks that Can Help You Stop Feeling So Tired After Meditation
If you’re looking for some advice on our tricks that you can utilize to help relieve this feeling of being fatigued after meditation, we have a few suggestions:
- Create a designated meditation space. Doing this will teach your brain to associate that with activity and not sleep.
- Another great trick would be to actually do your meditation outside. Doing it outside in the sun with the sounds of nature can not only be relaxing but can signal to your brain that it is not time for that nap.
- You can also try meditative walking. Mindfulness walking or meditative walking is typically done in a beautiful nature scene where you can also have a bit of a nature bath.
Final Thoughts on Why Are You Tired After Meditation
Feeling sleepy after meditation is something that many people struggle with. Its main cause is that the process of going into a meditative state causes your brain to mimic stages of going to sleep, but there are environmental factors that play a part as well.
By addressing those and creating a habit, you should eventually feel rejuvenated after meditation and not need to lie down on the couch.