Over the last week or so, I have heard from several friends that they are suddenly having trouble sleeping. Some have realized the cause on their own, others, too tired and stressed out, have wondered what could be causing this new malady.
The answer, I’m pretty sure, is the war in Ukraine. Even for those who have not been “doom scrolling” the news and social media, the fact that it is happening is deeply disturbing. When we talk about existential crisis, scenarios like this come to mind. The images coming from Ukraine are terrifying. And while it seems far away right now, it is easy to imagine the conflict spreading.
Taking a deep breath, we can see that fear for ourselves is not so unreasonable. And empathy for those suffering is a positive thing, even if it leaves us exhausted and losing sleep.
A History Lesson
While we do not know what will unfold in Ukraine and surrounding countries, we can find hope in history. Two 20th century wars, in China/Tibet and in Vietnam, have left us with powerful leaders for peace.
The Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet was utterly devastating for the people there. Nonetheless, some Tibetans have sought to look at the bright side of the conflict. Without it, they say, the world might not know much about Tibetan Buddhism. In particular, the Dalai Lama would not have become the world-renowned religious leader that he is today.
I even recall hearing of one Tibetan Buddhist lama speaking of the spiritual work he did while doing forced labor. He was on a road crew breaking up boulders and he imagined each boulder as one of his negative thoughts. Chipping away at the boulder, he imagined breaking down negative emotions. When each one cracked, he smiled, grateful for the opportunity to practice his religion, even secretly.
A second great religious figure to emerge from war was Thich Nhat Hanh, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thay as he is called, sought to develop a non-aligned position in the early days of the war in Vietnam. This backfired, as both sides became suspicious when he and his followers refused to openly support them. Sent into exile in France, he continued to teach peace, growing a movement which has since spanned around the world.
All of this is to say that even in the darkest of circumstances, there are moments of hope and there are people who can turn the tragedy into entire movements of peace.
Back to Now and our Need for Sleep
Part of my reason for bringing up these men and past conflicts is the relief that comes when realizing this isn’t the first-time conflict has occurred. Every conflict is different and each a tragedy in its own right, but some perspective can help many of us relax a little bit.
It is also wise to remind ourselves that we need the sleep not just for ourselves, but to be clear-eyed and coherent for those around us. So how do we do that?
One practice that I know a bit about and which has proven helpful in recent years is mindfulness. When we’re having trouble sleeping, it is usually our minds that we are trying to get under control. And, paradoxically perhaps, our very efforts only serve to make things worse. We then start worrying about sleep itself. This adds new stress on top of whatever was keeping us awake in the first place.
Mindfulness practice helps us to let go of our need to control the racing mind. Like counting sheep, we can instead just observe, non-judgmentally, the thoughts rising and falling as we lie in bed. We can treat them as mere objects to be noticed and released. Notice. Release. Repeat.
Daily Practice
Like so many things, mindfulness doesn’t arise out of thin air. It needs to be cultivated over weeks or months. Starting a daily practice now can help you down the road. But it might not do a lot in the days ahead.
I think it’s important to say that and not to overpromise on what mindfulness can give us. It’s no silver bullet. However, it can help. And the side-effects are extremely rare and can be ameliorated with proper teaching and guidance. So why not?
Starting that daily practice is like anything else. You just have to do it. Starting small helps. Keeping it fun helps. Building up over time is important. But go at your own pace.
Finally, Some Science
A recent study done at USC and UCLA investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness practice to treat sleep problems in older adults. Around 100 people were tested. Half were given mindfulness training and the other half were trained in the usual sleep hygiene tools such as avoiding TV before bed, education about stress, etc.
When the two groups were evaluated six weeks later, the group that had practiced mindfulness saw marked improvements. Their sleep quality scores went up nearly twice as much as the sleep hygiene group. Those who practiced mindfulness also saw reductions in insomnia symptoms and symptoms of depression and daytime fatigue.
While it was a small study, it is part of a growing number of studies looking at the benefits of mindfulness for many of our common problems.
Again, it’s no silver bullet. And worry about many things in life is warranted. So the goal is not to simply become blind to the suffering of the world – certainly this never happened to Thich Nhat Hanh or the Dalai Lama. The goal is to be as healthy ourselves as possible, so that we can best serve others and help build a better, more peaceful world for future generations.
Justin Whitaker, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Buddhist ethics from the University of London. He has given lectures, and taught Buddhist studies and Philosophy at Oxford University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Montana, and at Antioch University’s intensive study-abroad program in India. A certified meditation teacher, he is a regular contributor to Patheos.com, and Senior Correspondent for Buddhistdoor Global. He lives in Missoula with his family.