Mindfulness Meditation Helps Improve The Quality Of Sleep

Meditation can certainly help you relax. Yet did you know it can also help you fall and stay asleep?

Researchers at the University of Southern California found that mindfulness medication improved the quality of sleep for older adults. Furthermore, findings showed that regular meditation could even prevent cognitive decline for many older adults.

For the study, researchers conducted information on 49 adults who are an average age of 66 and who experienced moderate sleep disturbances. The first group of took part in a Mindful Awareness Practice (MAPS) intervention, while the second group underwent a Sleep Hygiene Education (SHE) course. Both of the interventions lasted six weeks, with two hours of training time and homework. 

The study results revealed a mindfulness group showed significant improvements in their ability to fall and stay asleep relatively to the sleep hygiene group.

As sleep disturbances can drastically affect the quality of life, the study showed that people who underwent mindfulness interventions also experienced reductions in certain sleep-related daytime symptoms of sleep loss, including anxiety, stress, depression and certain inflammatory markers.

"According to our findings, mindfulness meditation appears to have a role in addressing the prevalent burden of sleep problems among older adults," the study authors noted, in a news release. 

With future studies, researchers hope to use this information regarding mindfulness interventions to help improve the quality of life in adults, overall.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via JAMA Internal Medicine. 

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