A review of recent research on mindfulness meditation for insomnia finds that it is a viable treatment option. A metacognitive model has been proposed to explain how mindfulness reduces insomnia-related arousal. Several recent randomized controlled trials show that treatment effects are strongest on self-report measures of sleep compared to objective measures. Further research is needed to identify who benefits most and how these interventions work, as well as to resolve delivery and implementation issues.
An 8-week mindfulness meditation training program tailored for police officers reduced perceived stress, anxiety, burnout, sleep disturbances, and PTSD hyperarousal symptoms, with some gains lasting at 5 months. All 30 officers from a Midwestern U.S. police department completed the program with high attendance and positive evaluations. No changes were observed in self-reported physical health symptoms or C-reactive protein levels. The findings replicate earlier work and provide new evidence that mindfulness training may reduce PTSD symptoms in law enforcement personnel.