A six-week online mindfulness-based intervention (OPTIMISM) improved subjective sleep quality and reduced psychological distress in pregnant women with sleep deficiency. In a pilot randomized trial, 59 women were assigned to either mindfulness training or an education-only control. After the intervention, the mindfulness group reported significantly better sleep quality (score 5.4 vs. 7.6 in controls) and similar improvements in sleep-related impairment, fatigue, and depressive symptoms. No differences were seen in actigraphy measures or other outcomes. Satisfaction was slightly higher in the mindfulness group. The findings suggest the intervention is feasible and beneficial, warranting larger trials with longer follow-up.
This ongoing randomized controlled trial tests the feasibility and estimates the efficacy of a 6-week online mindfulness meditation intervention, combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), to help pregnant women in remission from depression self-manage insomnia. Fifty pregnant women between 12 and 28 weeks gestation will be randomly assigned to a mindfulness or education-only control group. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, adherence, and acceptability; the primary clinical outcome is sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Secondary outcomes include actigraphy and diary-based sleep measures, mood, and self-management factors. Results will inform a larger efficacy trial.