The Simple Way to Get Better Quality Sleep
By Jenna Birch
Tons of daily stressors, including anxiety and too much caffeine, can affect the quality and quantity of your sleep. But one study suggests there’s a simple practice that can counter it—no fancy sleep gadgets, napping pods or expensive sheets needed—so you can wake up feeling refreshed tomorrow.
According to new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, mindfulness meditation can help you get better shut-eye each night. In the study, researchers at the University of Southern California analyzed the sleep quality of 49 individuals with an average age of 66. This older set has been shown to suffer more sleep disturbances, which can lead to chronic fatigue, mood swings, depression symptoms and lower quality of life.
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Researchers split the participants into two groups; half were enrolled in a standard sleep hygiene education program that addresses good habits including avoiding caffeine and alcohol too close to bedtime, exercising regularly and setting consistent wake times, whereas the other half was coached on mindful awareness for two hours over the course of six weeks. Sleep quality was tracked using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). What researchers found was the PSQI scores of the sleep hygiene group improved slightly, from 10.2 to 9.1, but the mindfulness group scores saw an even bigger improvement, from 10.2 to 7.4. And whereas happily both groups saw a drop in anxiety, stress or inflammation over time, the meditators saw secondary symptoms like fatigue, insomnia and depression improve, too.
While the small study looked a specific population, there are lots of other reasons to start a regular meditation practice, including stress and pain reduction, so if it can also help you snooze better each night, it seems worth a shot.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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