Medically reviewed by
Dacelin St Martin, MD
Triple board-certified in Sleep Medicine,
Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics.
The Study – PLOS ONE Journal | What did the Study Find? | How Does Meditation Affect Sleep? | The Takeaway
Overview
Finding effective, safe, and easy-to-do ways to improve one’s sleep in today’s hectic society, where stress and distractions are rife, may seem like an unattainable dream to many people.
However, there is some good news. New research shows that a meditation technique long known to us (Yoga Nidra) can substantially improve sleep and boost memory.[1]
This article will elaborate on this brilliant pilot study and explain how meditation affects sleep.
The Study – PLOS ONE Journal
A recent study shows substantial improvements in memory, reaction time, and sleep quality among participants in as little as two weeks after following a brief daily meditation guide video that taught them to relax their bodies consciously.
This brilliant pilot study, published in the PLOS ONE Journal, was conducted by Indian researchers led by Dr. Karuna Datta, a Professor and sleep expert at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India.[1]
The researchers recruited thirty-eight (38) young male adults with no preexisting sleep or mental health problems or any acute illnesses that could disrupt their standard sleep patterns. However, women were not allowed to participate in the research due to the known impact of menstrual cycles on sleep.
The participants were required to keep a sleep diary before and after two (2) weeks of daily yoga nidra. Participants also underwent cognitive tests before and after practice, nighttime polysomnography, and EEG testing to assess brain activity.
Dr. Datta said the participants did 20 minutes of yoga nidra following a video guide. The study’s yoga nidra video guides practitioners on closing their eyes and relaxing the body without falling asleep.
Individuals are also directed to visualize the room, listen to nearby sounds, silently state a resolve or intention, and become aware of specific body parts. Additionally, they are instructed to visualize and relax those body parts.
“Yoga Nidra practice is a type of sensory deprivation technique. It is a simple technique with enormous promise for enhancing sleep and the human mind,” said Dr. Datta.
What did the Study Find?
After the second week, participants improved on cognitive measures, and the study found that they slept more soundly, for more extended periods, and with more duration of deep “delta wave” sleep.
Furthermore, those involved in the study spent more time sleeping when they were in bed, which is a sleep efficiency metric. When they awoke during the night, they claimed to have returned to sleep more rapidly.
Dr. Datta emphasized that one of the most intriguing findings was that the participants in the study spent a more significant share of their sleep time in the deep phase called delta sleep.
“The delta wave promotes better quality sleep.” This could be the cause of the participants’ subjective reports of improved sleep,” she stated.
Specifically, the participants were examined for 10 cognitive functions throughout the study, and reaction times for all ten measures improved at the end of the practice, indicating that the brain was processing more swiftly.
They performed better on working memory tests after practicing yoga nidra, showing that they were better able to use their short-term memory even while performing other tasks.
Concerning some of the shortcomings of the research, the study needed to explain why the men’s cognitive performance improved. Still, the researchers speculated that the yoga nidra practice could have been beneficial, especially given that several test scores were better after midday yoga practice than in the early morning.
Also, the scientists speculated that increased sleep may have influenced cognitive function by resulting in stronger neural connections. Other study limitations were the small sample size and the absence of a control group.
The author hopes that further and more extensive research may help resolve these shortcomings and identify whether practicing yoga nidra can aid persons with modest learning difficulties or cognitive decline.
How Does Meditation Affect Sleep?
Meditation is a mind-body therapy that combines mental exercises with physical actions like deep breathing.[2]
Meditation helps to relax the body and mind, making it ready for sleep by focusing on worried thoughts and physical signs of stress. Also, meditation is shown to elicit a bodily relaxation response, which works to counterbalance the stress reaction.[3]
Faster breathing, a high heart rate, tense muscles, and raised blood pressure are all symptoms of the stress reaction, which are unfavorable to sleep. The relaxation response triggered by meditation lowers brain waves, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, and regulates breathing.
Other ways meditation could influence sleep include:
- Better Mental Perspective: One possible benefit of meditation is that it might help people focus on the here and now, reducing worrisome thoughts about the past or future and making it easier to cope with stressful situations and sleep better.
- Improved Pain Management: Some experts believe meditation can help relieve pain.[4] Even if meditation does not alleviate a person’s physical discomfort, it may make it more bearable. This impact may benefit persons who have difficulty sleeping due to chronic pain.
The Takeaway
Present evidence shows that meditation can improve sleep and memory. Using it alongside other healthy sleep habits, such as having regular bedtimes and keeping the sleep environment cool, dark, and quiet, may maximize its possible benefits.
References
- Datta, K., Bhutambare, A., Mamatha, Narawa, Y., Srinath, R., & Kanitkar, M. (2023). Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with Yoga nidra practice in novices. PloS One, 18(12), e0294678. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294678
- Meditation and mindfulness: What you need to know. (n.d.). NCCIH. Retrieved January 4, 2024, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know
- Bystritsky, A., Hovav, S., Sherbourne, C., Stein, M. B., Rose, R. D., Campbell-Sills, L., Golinelli, D., Sullivan, G., Craske, M. G., & Roy-Byrne, P. P. (2012). Use of complementary and alternative medicine in a large sample of anxiety patients. Psychosomatics, 53(3), 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2011.11.009
- Zeidan, F., & Vago, D. R. (2016). Mindfulness meditation-based pain relief: a mechanistic account. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13153
