I fall asleep during meditation

[ThatMan]

So usually I meditate before sleep but lately it seems that I fall alseep while I meditate and when I wake up I feel like it that was just a moment of deep meditation and I go on with my meditation session.Last night I became a little scared because when I woke up, my hand moved suddenly with no reason.I was thinking how is this possible when I was not doing a thing, then everything made sense, I fell alseep for some minutes and then I woke...

[JosephineB]

Happens to the best of us :-)
I heard about not meditating in your sleeping zone helps.

[ooooooooo]

Yes, if you try meditation you must try somewhere else outside your bed. Somewhere else have much more tree can be better. Because more oxygen your body more relax

[FaithMD]

I wake up at 5:00 am so that I have time to myself before everyone else wakes up. I sit up in a comfortable chair to keep from falling asleep but I still found that I would drift. So now, I get up, get a cup of green tea and do some inspirational reading. Then I meditate about a half hour later and that works really well for me.

[FairyCrystal]

Meditating before sleep is not handy. Typically you are tired, wired for rest. Not the right time to meditate. Putting on music or something to relax deeper is different. Not meditating.

That's why meditating in bed and/or lying down isn't recommended either. ALthough meditating is relaxing etc it is not meant to pass out! It is meant to quiet the mind and/or to learn something, gain insight and clarity.
That's not what you achieve when you're sleepy because it's late and you're ready for bed.

Sometimes people do fall asleep in their chair whilst meditating. Although I have rarely seen this during workshops, but it does occasionally happen. That is then still different from meditating before sleeping in bed.
It happens during a workshop when the energies are too high for you to take in. You still get part of what is done, but more indirectly. Or the information is held in your system until you are ready for it.
Same when you drift off during a workshop/energy work/meditation. By this I do NOT mean sleep. But it can happen that you're gone, not to sleep, but erm... not sure where, haha. Trance like weird thingie. I've had that happen often when I was still a newbie, sometimes it still happens.
The reason for this happening is the same as falling asleep.

[edithaint]

I've never really understood what exactly is so wrong with falling asleep or into a trance-like state while meditating, unless you have a very particular goal in mind that requires a certain state of consciousness. But sometimes the universe simply knows what you need better than you do.

[FairyCrystal]

Originally Posted by edithaint

I've never really understood what exactly is so wrong with falling asleep or into a trance-like state while meditating, unless you have a very particular goal in mind that requires a certain state of consciousness. But sometimes the universe simply knows what you need better than you do.

Well, there might be other reasons, or more, but I think it's mostly because you miss out on the learning experience, and with that the entire point of meditating.
I've been shown, given, told things during meditations that were very valuable. Had I slept I would not have known. For me the reason for meditating is just that: getting clarity, healing, insight and so on.
You need to be awake and conscious for that.

Also, meditating is about learning to tune in to a higher vibration without being/falling asleep. So being able to get into that state of mind - what is it, theta?- or higher without needing to be asleep to get there.
It is always the less advanced/trained people who either fall asleep or get into that weird unconscious-while-awake state, not the more advanced ones as they can easily flow these high energies through them. The latter also a reason for meditating: flowing higher energies through you to channel, get information, healing and so on and so forth.

Hope that makes sense.

[edithaint]

Originally Posted by FairyCrystal

Well, there might be other reasons, or more, but I think it's mostly because you miss out on the learning experience, and with that the entire point of meditating.
I've been shown, given, told things during meditations that were very valuable. Had I slept I would not have known. For me the reason for meditating is just that: getting clarity, healing, insight and so on.
You need to be awake and conscious for that.

Also, meditating is about learning to tune in to a higher vibration without being/falling asleep. So being able to get into that state of mind - what is it, theta?- or higher without needing to be asleep to get there.
It is always the less advanced/trained people who either fall asleep or get into that weird unconscious-while-awake state, not the more advanced ones as they can easily flow these high energies through them. The latter also a reason for meditating: flowing higher energies through you to channel, get information, healing and so on and so forth.

Hope that makes sense.

Sleep is not a lack of consciousness. Only a different state of consciousness. I've been taught things during sleep that I would've never known otherwise, and not for some lack of "advancement".

[Flexi-Girl]

Originally Posted by edithaint

Sleep is not a lack of consciousness. Only a different state of consciousness. I've been taught things during sleep that I would've never known otherwise, and not for some lack of "advancement".

That happens to me all the time! I get some of the best ideas as I am waking up in the morning.

[jdenina]

Happens to me all the time :) need to try and find that god balance between relaxation and awareness.