| Behavioral interventions are becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of insomnia. Practicing mindfulness meditation has been shown to help manage stress and decrease arousal, which are major precipitating factors of sleep disorders. The effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress management program on pre-sleep arousal and insomnia symptoms were examined. Sleep impairment, levels of pre-sleep arousal, mood, and levels of mindfulness were assessed at pre- and post-intervention. Sleep and meditation activity were recorded during the first and last week of the intervention. Participation in the program can be associated with lower levels of cognitive and somatic arousal before sleep and milder subjective insomnia symptoms. The frequency and duration of meditation did not significantly contribute to changes in primary assessment scores pre- to post-intervention and no improvements were found in objectively measured sleep variables. These results open up possibilities for further research into the integration of mindfulness into insomnia treatment. |
