Meditation Could Be an Effective Treatment for Insomnia

According to a study, meditation could be an effective behavioral intervention in the treatment of insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep complaint that occurs when you have difficulty in initiating or/and maintaining sleep. Insomnia is considered a disorder only when it causes a significant amount of distress or anxiety, or when it results in daytime impairment.

Results of the study indicate that insomnia patients saw improvements in subjective sleep quality and sleep diary parameters while practicing meditation. Sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality and depression improved in insomnia patients who used meditation.

According to principal investigator Ramadevi Gourineni, director of the insomnia program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston, Ill., insomnia is believed to be a 24-hour problem of hyperarousal, and elevated measures of arousals are seen throughout the day.

"Results of the study show that teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can help improve sleep at night," said Gourineni.

The study gathered data from 11 healthy subjects between the ages of 25 and 45 years with chronic primary insomnia. Primary insomnia is sleeplessness that cannot be attributed to an existing medial, psychiatric or environmental cause. Participants were divided into two intervention groups for two months: Kriya Yoga (a form of meditation that is used to focus internalized attention and has been shown to reduce measures of arousal) and health education. Subjective measures of sleep and depression were collected at baseline and after the two-month period.

Both groups received sleep hygiene education; members of the health education group also received information about health-related topics and how to improve health through exercise, nutrition, weight loss and stress management.
References:
1. Ramadevi Gourineni, et al. Effects of Meditation on Sleep in Individuals with Chronic Insomnia. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Abstract ID: 0874.

Sleep Apnea in Children and Teens Linked to Lower Academic Grades

According to a study, the average academic grades of children and teens with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea are worse than the grades of students who have no sleep-disordered

Diet and Exercise Unlikely to Eliminate Sleep Apnea in Obese Patients

A study has found that a diet and exercise program alone is unlikely to eliminate mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea in obese patients. Although the exercise program resulted in

Sleep Apnea Risk Factor for Heart Disease in Kidney Transplant Patients

According to a study, obstructive sleep apnea is common in kidney transplant recipients and is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. Researchers found

Small Device Helps Sleep Apnea Sufferers in a Big Way

Imagine choking and gasping for air every time you fall asleep. Between 18 million and 20 million people in the United States suffer from these frightening symptoms because of a common

Reduced Brain Gray Matter Found in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

A study has found gray matter concentration deficits in multiple brain areas of people with severe obstructive sleep apnea. This study is the first to assess gray matter concentration in