Effectiveness of Deep Breathing and Body Scan Meditation Combined with Music to Improve Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in Older Adults
Nitayapa Nanthakwang, Penprapa Siviroj, Anuchart Matanasarawoot, Ratana Sapbamrer, Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon, Ratanaporn Awiphan
The Open Public Health Journal June 1, 2020 DOI: 10.2174/1874944502013010232 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 59 |
| Population | Older adults with poor sleep quality |
| Interventions | deep breathing exercises body scan meditation music |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A daily practice of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music significantly improved global sleep quality and quality of life in older adults, with a significant between-group difference in daily disturbance but not in sleep efficiency or perceived sleep quality. |
Abstract
Background: In older adults, physiological changes affect sleep and may cause impaired daily function and Reduced Quality of Life (QOL). This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of deep breathing exercises and body scan meditation combined with music to improve sleep quality and QOL.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial with allocation concealment method was conducted. Fifty-nine older adults with poor sleep quality were recruited using block randomization to intervention and control groups. The intervention group was instructed to do deep breathing and body scan meditation while listening to music through Bluetooth speakers once a day for thirty minutes before sleeping, a daily practice to last for eight weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Pictorial Thai Quality of Life (PTQL) were administered to both groups prior to the intervention and 8-week post-baseline of the intervention.
Results: The global PSQI in the intervention group significantly decreased following the intervention, whereas the control group showed no difference. There was a decrease in individual PSQI components as well for the intervention group, namely, sleep efficiency, perceived sleep quality, and daily disturbance. The intervention group did not differ from the control group in sleep efficiency or perceived sleep quality, but there was a significant difference in the daily disturbance. Additionally, the total PTQL in the intervention group significantly increased between the two time periods, whereas there was no difference in the controls. The intervention group scored higher in each domain of PTQL, except for the economic domain.
Conclusion: A daily practice of deep breathing and body scan meditation combined with music has a positive effect on improving sleep quality and QOL among older adults. Hence, this intervention should be implemented to improve sleep quality and promote QOL in older adults.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Music mindfulness acutely modulates autonomic activity and improves psychological state in anxiety and depression. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2025
- Sleep-Based Brain Age Is Reduced in Advanced Inner Engineering Meditators. Mindfulness 2025
- Incorporating a Usual Care Comparator into a Study of Meditation and Music Listening for Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Feasibility Trial. Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports March 11, 2021