Meditate instead of counting sheep
All content is checked by medical journalists.MunichAt night they toss and turn restlessly, during the day they are limp and tired - for every fourth German, sleep problems are a frequent companion. Quite a few therefore resort to sleeping pills - they are mostly addictive and can have serious side effects. Scientists at the University of Los Angeles have been looking for an alternative. And found it based on Far Eastern mediation techniques: the "Mindfullness Meditation" in German "Mindfulness Meditation".
David Black and his colleagues measured the effect of the exercises on moderate to severe sleep problems in just under 50 adults over the age of 54. It is based on focusing your attention fully on the moment. It helps to concentrate on simple aspects such as breathing or sensations in the individual parts of the body. It is important to let all thoughts come and go without thinking about them or judging them.
Meditation takes practice
Like most relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditation requires practice. As part of the study, half of the participants completed a course in which they learned the technology in group sessions once a week for six weeks. The other half of the participants took a similarly intensive course on sleep hygiene. The participants learn which factors are beneficial to sleep - for example regular bed times - and which are more likely to promote sleep disorders. Both groups should apply and practice what they have learned at home.
As effective as medication
After six weeks, both courses showed an effect. But the improvement in sleep quality was three times as great in the meditation group. The number of points in the sleep quality questionnaire only changed by one of 21 points in the sleep hygiene group, while sleep improved by 3 points in the meditation group. This made meditation as effective as psychotherapy or even common sleeping pills.
The effect of the exercises on daytime sleepiness was even stronger. The meditation group felt much less tired than the group that had only been trained in sleep hygiene.
The researchers attribute the positive influence of meditation primarily to the breaking of negative spirals of thought and brooding as well as the changed perception and evaluation of body sensations. Mindful people are also likely to be less stressed and less likely to panic.
Mindfulness in the Western World
The principle of mindfulness was not first discovered by Black's scientists for the western world. A few years ago, molecular biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor of medicine in Massachusetts, developed an eight-week therapeutic program for the application of mindfulness in healthcare, the so-called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSRP).
Programs like this are designed to help relieve sleep problems, chronic pain and cope with serious illnesses as well. In addition, regular practice of mindfulness exercises should increase resilience in stressful situations, lead to better concentration and give more self-confidence.
Mindfulness training is becoming increasingly popular - the range of courses from yoga studios to adult education centers to special mobile apps is correspondingly large. (vv)
Source: Black, D. et al. Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances. A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015; 175: 494-501. doi: 10.1001 / jamainternmed.2014.8081.
