Rest deeply9 min
10 minute NSDR
A free guided non-sleep deep rest session. Lie down, press play and rest without sleeping.
Voice: Steve (synthetic)
First time? Lie down or sit back. Headphones are optional, and it's fine if you drift off.
- Best for
- A full rest when you have ten minutes
- When to use it
- Lying down or sitting back, any time of day you can close your eyes for ten minutes and don't need to be anywhere. It runs just over nine minutes.
- What you'll hear
- 0:00Arrive: lie down or sit back with your head supported, then close your eyes
- 0:46Breath: four deep breaths in through the nose and long breaths out through the mouth, then the breath on its own
- 2:11Body scan: the feet, legs and hips, then the belly and lower back
- 3:44Body scan: the chest and shoulders, the arms and hands, then the neck, face and scalp
- 5:11Deep rest, with longer silences
- 7:24Return: small movements first, then open your eyes when you decide to
- 8:33A short close
When to use a 10-minute NSDR
A ten-minute pause before you start focused work. A short reset for a stressful afternoon.
It also fits where a nap won't. NSDR keeps you awake, so it can leave you less groggy than waking from a long nap. For more, see NSDR vs napping.
How long should NSDR be?
Most sessions run 10 to 30 minutes. Ten is a good default: long enough for the breath, a full body scan and a few minutes of rest, and short enough to fit into most days. For shorter and longer ones, see the NSDR shelf.
What is NSDR?
NSDR (non-sleep deep rest) is guided rest. You lie still with your eyes closed, stay awake, and follow a voice that moves your attention through your body and slows your breathing. Most sessions run 10 to 30 minutes.
Yoga nidra is the older yoga practice of guided, lying-down rest. NSDR is a close modern relative with less traditional language.
For more, read our guide to non-sleep deep rest.
For the history of the name, see where NSDR comes from.
What the research says
In two small trials of healthy, physically active adults, 10 minutes of NSDR lowered self-rated stress more than a control condition (65 people in 2024, 102 in 2026). The effect in the larger trial was small. Neither trial studied people with an anxiety disorder. Sources: Boukhris et al. (2024); Boukhris et al. (2026a)
For focus, the results are mixed. One 10-minute NSDR trial found faster reaction times and better accuracy afterwards, a second found a short-lived gain, and a third found no effect. Sources: Boukhris et al. (2024); Boukhris et al. (2026a); Boukhris et al. (2026b)
Questions
Who should check with a GP first?
Anyone with a health condition who isn't sure a still, eyes-closed practice suits them. If a body scan has brought up distress for you before, talk to your GP or a therapist first.
Can I do NSDR every day?
You can, but we haven't found a trial that tested daily use over months (checked 31 Oct 2026), so we make no promise about what daily practice does. Use it as often as suits you.
Do I have to stay awake?
Try to. Staying just awake is what makes it non-sleep deep rest. If you drift off now and then, that's fine, and the session ends by bringing you back.
Is NSDR the same as meditation?
Not quite. You lie still and follow a voice through the body rather than holding your attention on something by yourself.