Different Patterns of Sleep-Dependent Procedural Memory Consolidation in Vipassana Meditation Practitioners and Non-meditating Controls.
Elizaveta Solomonova, Simon Dubé, Cloé Blanchette-Carrière, Dasha A. Sandra, Arnaud Samson-Richer, Michelle Carr, Tyna Paquette, Tore Nielsen
Frontiers in Psychology January 23, 2020 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Vipassana meditation practitioners (N = 22) and matched meditation-naïve controls (N = 20) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Memory consolidation Procedural memory Body awareness Sleep spindles Nrem sleep Vipassana meditation |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Both groups improved similarly on a procedural balance task after a daytime nap, but the sleep correlates of learning differed: in meditators, task learning was positively correlated with density of slow occipital spindles, whereas in controls improvement was positively associated with time in REM sleep. Meditators had lower density of occipital slow sleep spindles than controls. The authors suggest meditation practice may alter sleep microarchitecture and reorganize sleep-dependent memory consolidation. |
Abstract
Aim: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and sleep spindles are all implicated in the consolidation of procedural memories. Relative contributions of sleep stages and sleep spindles were previously shown to depend on individual differences in task processing. However, no studies to our knowledge have focused on individual differences in experience with Vipassana meditation as related to sleep. Vipassana meditation is a form of mental training that enhances proprioceptive and somatic awareness and alters attentional style. The goal of this study was to examine a potential role for Vipassana meditation experience in sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation.
Methods: Groups of Vipassana meditation practitioners (N = 22) and matched meditation-naïve controls (N = 20) slept for a daytime nap in the laboratory. Before and after the nap they completed a procedural task on the Wii Fit balance platform.
Results: Meditators performed slightly better on the task before the nap, but the two groups improved similarly after sleep. The groups showed different patterns of sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation: in meditators, task learning was positively correlated with density of slow occipital spindles, while in controls task improvement was positively associated with time in REM sleep. Sleep efficiency and sleep architecture did not differ between groups. Meditation practitioners, however, had a lower density of occipital slow sleep spindles than controls.
Conclusion: Results suggest that neuroplastic changes associated with meditation practice may alter overall sleep microarchitecture and reorganize sleep-dependent patterns of memory consolidation. The lower density of occipital spindles in meditators may mean that meditation practice compensates for some of the memory functions of sleep.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- EEG Brain Rhythms During Resting-State Wakefulness and Sleep in Elderly Expert Meditators. Journal of Sleep Research July 29, 2025
- Does Meditation Improve Cognition Through Sleep? November 19, 2022
- The Impact of Vipassana Meditation on Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence. Cureus September 1, 2025
- Sleep Paralysis: Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment Strategies. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience August 25, 2025
- Aanapanasati Meditation and Stress Reduction Among Health Science University Students The Open Public Health Journal February 26, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 36
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Intensive meditation training improves perceptual discrimination and sustained attention. Psychological Science June 1, 2010
and 31 more in the library