The problem with anti-depressants is that they often don’t work.
Though many try, it’s hard to treat depression with antidepressants alone. Treatment may go on for years, and the side effects, like fatigue, anxiety, loss of libido, and sleep disruption, can be frustrating.
Dr. Willoughby Britton at Brown University Medical School and her colleagues at the University of Arizona wanted to find out whether mindfulness could help with sleep disruption – one of the most common side effects of antidepressants.
Researchers randomly assigned 23 participants, all of whom were taking antidepressant medications, to one of two interventions. Some received a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course while others were placed on a waitlist to serve as a control.
Throughout the 9-week study, subjects in both groups completed sleep diaries, including their total sleep time, time in bed, latency of sleep onset, sleep quality, and other measures.
Researchers also took polysomnographic and electroencephalographic recordings before and after the treatment phase.
There were two major findings.
First, people who got the mindfulness training reported significantly greater sleep time compared to the controls. They also reported a better ratio of time asleep to time spent in bed.
But what’s even more interesting is that the polysomnographic data supported the self-report measures. In other words, people who got mindfulness training were getting more sleep – objectively.
This study adds to the research that suggests mindfulness could be a useful aid for clients with depression.
Imagine if mindfulness could help with side effects of other psychoactive medications – I’d be interested to see more research done on this.
If you want to read the whole study, you can find it in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
Have you ever suggested mindfulness to a client having trouble sleeping? Please leave a comment below.
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Very Quality techniques are used here for meditation. I like these techniques even I tried these techniques and found lot of benefits. During my meditation experience, I felt myself in a totally different world.
Really very effective techniques..
Ruth and Dear Forum, any experience, reaserch that suggests mindfulness could be a useful aid for clients with develpmental disability having trouble sleeping?
It’s interesting that you should bring this up. For the last couple of years now, i have mentioned before that I have been practicing meditation. Over the past six months or so when I go to bed between 10 and 10:30. I get all comfortable and then I start meditating, coupled with deep breathing. Some times I wake up to go to the bathroom, even several times, but most of the time I go to bed and am asleep in about 5 to 10 minutes. I wake up about 6:30; get up, get dressed and go for a walk that takes between 45 and 50 minutes; meditating during the walk. May the Force be with you!
Larry Anderson
That’s way the betsset answer so far!
Hi Ruth,
I’ve suffered from depression my entire life, am now in my 50’s, and have taken antidepressants in the past but am resisting taking them now. I also suffer from severe osteoarthritis in both hips and both knees. My sleep is terrible, but I’m about to embark on a 13 week mindfulness-based meditation course for those with chronic pain. The course is given by Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix out of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario. I’ll be sure to report back to you on my experience with this modality. I have high hopes!
I read the blurb, not the article. On that basis, a few comments: Insomnia is not defined here. It’s a heterogenous complaint. Second, two aspects of this study greatly limit the utility of its findings. First, it uses a small N. Second, the only “control” is a waitlist. This is not considered a robust design. Even if mindfulness is shown to work in the study with this design, the relevant question for clients, clinicians, and researchers is: compared to what? Comparing mindfulness to a waitlist is like comparing a sedating drug prescribed to a violent child in a chaotic family to to the results of chaotic families waiting to work with family therapists.
Hi Ruth,
Learning about the potential effectiveness of mindfulness in the treatment of insomnia is quite interesting
to me both personally and professionally. Over the years I have been learning about more and more
situations which can be benefited by this practice.
I would like to learn more about becoming a mindfulness practitioner in order to incorporate it into my
practice as well as my life.
Good article and comments. To add to the clarification about Dr. Britton, I believe she is currently at Brown University.
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I heartily agree with all the above comments re benefits of mindfulness and utilize many them.
However, I want to mention that research also shows that antidepressants can help with depression and anxiety as well as insomnia, and generalized body aches and pains…
I am one of many who sees the need for intelligent awareness regarding various treatment modes- allopathic and naturopathic.
There is research showing unintelligent use of ANY modality/ supplement/ medication can be harmful.
I often recommend a audio program for deep rest from Omharmonics, which syncs up brain waves with sound patterns. It can help overcome the presleep anxiety to allow release into sleep or be used to get back to sleep in the middle of the night.
I regularly do and use cds to introduce various good presenters like Kabat-Zinn-. I keep referring to the ideas and people pick them up and go away and read,practise etc. Not all my clients have the ‘time’, so i conclude this is not the right time for them and drop it-.But they can go back there whenever they are ready..
best, annegret
Yes I regularly suggest mindfulness body scan by John Kabat Zinn to clients who have chronic pain, trauma, and menopausal life changes.
Thank you Ruth for letting us know about the study. I’m eighty years old. I usually have no difficulty falling asleep, but I often wake up a couple of times during the night. Sometimes it might take me an hour to get back to sleep. I try to sit down every night, before I go to bed, for twenty minutes of Mindfulness Meditation. I can see a significant difference in the quality of my sleep between those nights when I skip my meditation and when I meditate. It’s so nice to wake up in the morning after a full night’s sleep. But here’s something else. When I do wake up during the night, instead of struggling to get back to sleep, I pay attention to my thoughts and my body, and go right back to sleep. I find it helpful to tell myself “I came to bed to rest, not to sleep”. That helps me to relax and not fight it.
Thanks Murray, even tho I’m only in my 60s, I wake for the toilet and other times. I use exactly the same koan, ‘I came to bed to rest, not to sleep’. Although sometimes I cheat and read my iPad and fall asleep mid sentence. Mindfulness is good for everything, as it reminds us that our mind is often none of our business and it has its own processes. We use mindfulness as a dedicate practice, and also as a generic way of being with our minds.
Thanks for this new mindfulness research update. Yes, mindfulness is one of my recommendations for sleep/depression/stress. See my mindfulness article: http://www.sleep-disorders-gone.com/mindful-meditation.html
As a lay person who has overcome chronic insomnia (and the many life-zapping side effects including depression) and obstructive sleep apnea (without a CPAP machine), my life’s mission is to share this success with others. Offering a message of hope with proven sleep solutions for renewed vitality and health is my main focus throughout my website and the interactive workplace and community sleep workshops I lead.
Thanks for your great work … your professional voice is appreciated.
I not only suggest using mindfulness with my clients, but I also practice it. I give clients a chance to listen to a mindfulness tape during a session as well as personally leading them into a mindfulness state. Experiencing it is the most effective technique.
Ruth, I look forward to your e-mails and programs.
Yes ! Mindfulness for insomnia (as well as depression and anxiety) I recommend this all the time
for my patients. Despite being a trained psychiatrist I frequently use mindfulness meditation to help
improve the situations of my patients.
I have found that it gives patients control over their state of mind. I also find that someone does not have to “fall asleep”. If they just use the “awake time” at night to practice mindfulness meditation
it quiets the mind in a restorative way. They do not have to worry about getting to sleep but they often do.
Thank you for this information and the easy to find linked reference.
Larry Drell MD
counselingandtherapydc.com
for additional information about depression and anxiety and insomnia
Wow this is exciting and important new research. I will definitely pass this on to my clients in my MBCT groups. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve found Body Scan to be the most helpful to patients who struggle. And, before it can work, other sleep protocols need to be in place, such as all electronics off for a half hour before bedtime…. When all else fails, I suggest they try counting how many therapists it takes to change a light bulb…..
I apply mindfulnees to treat sleep disorders, specially insomnia.
But in my opinion we need something more that “only mindulness”, that it is effective, but may be more effective if we integrate with cognitive behavior therapy and cognitive hypnotherapy
I enjoy very much from Ruth Buczynski and Nicabm series
Warm greetings from Jerusalem, Isrel.
Ruth, this is another wonderful piece of research. Thank you for getting the word out. One error in your write-up, though. Willoughby is a beautiful young WOMAN!