[Contribution of mindfulness meditation in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia].
H Vanhuffel, M Rey, I Lambert, D Da Fonseca, F Bat-Pitault
L'Encephale April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2016.12.001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 33 |
| Population | Patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia, aged 18 to 75 years, recruited at the Sleep Center of Marseille |
| Interventions | Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 6-week follow-up |
| Measures | Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth sleepiness scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS-16), SF36 health survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic insomnia Cognitive behavioral therapy Insomnie chronique Pleine conscience Sleep |
| Key findings | Both CBT-I alone and CBT-I combined with mindfulness improved sleep parameters, anxiety, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, and quality of life. The combined group showed significantly greater reduction in wake after sleep onset compared to CBT-I alone (P=0.009), suggesting mindfulness enhances CBT-I's effectiveness. |
Abstract
Insomnia is considered to be a serious public health issue affecting approximately 10% of adults. Chronic insomnia may increase the risk of health problem, psychological vulnerability and proneness to accidents. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as the first line of treatment. Even though CBT-I is widely considered as an effective therapy, 20 to 30% of patients do not respond to this treatment. Mindfulness therapy, known to reduce rumination and stress, could be an interesting complement to enhance CBT-I. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of therapy combining mindfulness meditation and CBT-I for the treatment of chronic insomnia. Thirty-three patients, diagnosed with chronic insomnia, aged 18 to 75 years (51±15 years) were recruited between October 2015 and June 2016 at the Sleep Center of Marseille. The patients were then divided into two groups according to their psychotherapy method: group CBT-I alone (17 patients) or a group therapy combining CBT-I and Mindfulness (16 patients). All participants were given five sessions of standard CBT during eight weeks. The patient-reported outcome measures were sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset (WASO), total wake time, total sleep time, time in bed, sleep efficiency and number of awakening from sleep diaries before treatment (T0) and six weeks later (T1). Assessments were done using Pittsburgh Sleep quality index (PSQI), Insomnia severity Index (ISI), the Epworth sleepiness scale, the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD), the dysfunctional beliefs and attitude about sleep (DBAS-16); further, the use of sleeping pills was also recorded at T0 and T1. Out of the 33 participants who began the treatment, 29 completed all sessions and were included in the analyses (4 dropouts in the group CBT-I alone). The data shows that each treatment yielded significant improvements over time in sleep variables from the diary, PSQI, ISI, anxiety (P=0.004), DBAS 16, sleeping pill use and vitality measured by SF36 health survey (P=0.004). Comparing the results of the two therapy groups, the meditation associated to CBT-I shows significantly greater rates of reduction in WASO relative to CBT-I group (P=0.009). This study confirms the beneficial effects of CBT for patients suffering from insomnia on sleep parameters, anxiety symptoms and quality of life. Furthermore, this study suggests, for the first time, that combining CBT and mindfulness is a superior approach compared to that of only conventional CBT-I in improving 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 5
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 21, 2018
- Is mindfulness practice "at risk" of increasing spirituality? Systematic review and critical analysis of a claimed effect. L'Encephale August 1, 2024
- Effects of mindfulness meditation on blood pressure and quality of life in patients with intradialytic hypertension during haemodialysis: A randomised controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine November 1, 2025
- Falling Asleep on the Job: The Efficacy of a Short App-Based Mindfulness Intervention to Improve Sleep Quality and Quantity Within the Workforce. Stress and Health February 1, 2025
- Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy to Improve Sleep Quality in Older Adults with Insomnia Intervencion psicosocial July 1, 2022
Cites 6
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia Sleep August 29, 2014
- How mindfulness changed my sleep: focus groups with chronic insomnia patients. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine February 10, 2014
- Combining mindfulness meditation with cognitive-behavior therapy for insomnia: a treatment-development study. Behavior Therapy November 14, 2007
- The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep disturbance: a systematic review. Explore 2007
and 1 more in the library