Sometimes the best meditation is sleep.

If every time you sit down to meditate, you fall asleep within 15 seconds, you may want to check in to see how much rest you’re getting.

While some research suggests meditation can reduce the amount of sleep you need and/or deepen the quality of your sleep (I was sleeping 2-3 hours a night in Asia and maintained great energy) there is nothing compelling that says it can substitute your sleep, especially if you’re only meditating 10-30 minutes a day.

I don’t suggest getting rid of your meditation practice to sleep more (although sometimes it may be necessary) but I do think sleep should be prioritized in your life. It will be very difficult to stay wakeful in meditation without it, and it will be very difficult to function at your best self without it.

For further evidence supporting this, check out the book “Eat, move, sleep” by Tom Rath.