It would follow that meditation helps decrease alcohol, tobacco and drug use, and this has been proven out. Meditators get to sleep faster. The fact that meditation also lowers our biological age has been also proven, and this study showed that long time meditators average twelve years younger biologically than their chronological age. In fairness, it should be pointed out that most TM practitioners are vegetarians, and they have also been shown to go to hospitals less than half as much also, whether they meditate or not. As you can see, there are a wide variety of positive benefits that will come from our meditation practice, if we stick to it and meditate with regularity.
Regular practice is the key.
As you can see, beginning a meditation practice can be completely life changing. Things that used to rile you will begin to roll off you like rain off a ducks back, for when there is no underlying stress, you can deal with life's little annoyances and difficulties. Your health will improve noticeable, and you'll experience an enhanced sense of well being, be more productive, happier and smarter. As wonderful as all that is, the most important benefit available from meditation is being really in touch with your own self and developing a closer relationship with the creator. Our relationship with God is the only thing that we have that truly lasts, and is the only thing we take with us when we leave.