How to Achieve Restful Sleep? Can Buddhism Offer Solutions for Insomnia and Vivid Dreams?

The Buddhist doctrine encourages us to sleep less. It does not advocate excessive sleep because sleep is a state of dullness. According to Buddhist teachings, the minds of ordinary individuals often exist in two states: one is a state of dullness, characterized by a drowsy desire to sleep, which can be observed in some children and elderly people who enjoy sleeping from morning to night. The other state is one of distraction, characterized by scattered thoughts. Essentially, human thoughts are in one of these two states: either dullness or distraction.

Why do people need to sleep for seven to eight hours? This is because without the practice of meditation, the mental energy expended cannot be replenished, so sleep is necessary for regulation and adjustment. Rest is also necessary for managing physical and mental fatigue, as well as certain illnesses. During sleep, people are relatively quieter compared to during the day, allowing their spirits to recover.

Why does insomnia occur? The majority of people suffering from insomnia are in a state of mental distraction and anxiety. Their minds have become so burdened with worries that exceed what a normal person can bear, leading to insomnia. They are preoccupied with too many things, holding onto possessions tightly, and when these possessions are about to leave or slip away from their control, they feel unable to accept this loss, leading to insomnia.

Do children suffer from insomnia? Children never think about what belongs to them. They sleep when they need to and wake up when they need to. A child’s world revolves around eating, playing, and sleeping. Children do not care about the quality of food; as long as there is something to eat, they are content. They also do not care about the quality of toys; as long as they are having fun, they are satisfied. However, adults have attached many concepts to these activities, leading to mental obstacles. The more attachments and preoccupations a person has, the more likely they are to suffer from insomnia. Those who care about their reputation suffer from insomnia when their reputation is damaged, and those who care about money suffer from insomnia when they experience financial loss.

So, how does Buddhism address these issues? Buddhism teaches that everything in the world is illusory and not inherently real. If you treat it as real, it will control and harm you, making you laugh or cry as it pleases. If you treat it as freely coming and going, like the passing clouds and mountains, these problems will cease to exist.

While it is natural for people to attend to the necessities of life, they should not be bound too tightly by them. The reason why people live in great pain and suffer from insomnia is because they have become slaves to everything around them. When a phone rings in the middle of the night, they immediately pick it up, showing that they are no longer in control; the phone is controlling them.

Maintaining Right Mindfulness

Ideally, people should be in control of everything, but the situation is reversed now, leading to an increasingly fragile state of mind. Buddhism teaches us to break free and take control. Those who understand traditional Chinese medicine tend to seek a natural way of living, following the laws of nature, because they possess “right views”. Living in accordance with right views leads to a positive mindset and strength, which will inevitably influence both physical and mental well-being in a positive direction. Living according to the power of right views allows one to “sleep when it’s time to sleep, eat when it’s time to eat, and work when it’s time to work.”

The ancient sages taught “eat when hungry, sleep when tired”. While many people aspire to a higher spiritual practice, the teaching of the Zen masters is about living in accordance with the natural laws of ordinary people. If you are tired and your body needs rest, then rest.

The true masters of Zen, when they meditate at night, wake up the next morning feeling fresh and do not need to compensate with additional hours of sleep. They are always in a state of “harmonious movement and stillness”. Ordinary people, on the other hand, tend to be either active or still, either drowsy or eating and sleeping. We are burdened by too many external concerns. The Heart Sutra states, “With no hindrance in the mind, no fears exist. Far apart from all confused dreams, Nirvana is already here.” Living in a world of confused dreams, how can we sleep well?

Pursuing the Correct Life Goals

If we live for fame and fortune, we must be prepared for insomnia. If we can still live well even when we suffer from insomnia, then it is acceptable. However, if we desire a peaceful and ordinary life, we must distance ourselves from environments that harm us. If we cannot distance ourselves, we will inevitably be affected and may suffer from insomnia.

In addition to the necessities of life, we should pursue the right goals in life. When these goals are determined, it will provide a certain stability in dealing with gains and losses, right and wrong. While it may not be absolute stability, it will at least provide a certain level of self-preservation in the face of challenges. If one is constantly immersed in suffering, it may be difficult to recover from it, and medication alone cannot heal the mind or the spirit.

If we are too affected by fame and fortune, it is as if we have become mentally ill, and our perception of the world becomes completely distorted. We should not seek more or higher things, but at the very least, we should learn to protect ourselves and not be too affected by external influences. While it is inevitable that we will need money, food, and sleep, we should not be too deeply affected by them. It is like a small tree carrying a heavy burden; it will eventually break.

Learning to Let Go

The lives of ordinary people are inherently fragile. If we are burdened with too many worries and attachments, we will undoubtedly suffer from insomnia. Therefore, we should relax and let go a little. The more we let go, the better we will sleep.

Monastics cultivate this state. The first time they sleep in a dirty place, they may find it difficult to sleep, but after a few times, they will get used to it. When you no longer care about cleanliness, dirt is no longer a problem. The more we worry, the more it affects our body and mind. Buddhism teaches that “all phenomena are created by the mind”. All concepts and thoughts are created in the mind. The more worries, delusions, stubbornness, and attachments we have, the more afflictions we will suffer, and the more severe our insomnia will become.

Therefore, we should strive to live as normal people, even more normal than normal people. The world today is no longer very normal, and we should strive to return to a state of normalcy. Look at what children do; they do what they are supposed to do, and are closer to nature and human nature, even more in tune with the teachings of Buddhism.