Impact of an eight-week app-based mindfulness intervention on subjective and objective sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial among working women
Riko Uwagawa, Koichiro Adachi, Kohki Kaji, Ryu Takizawa
BMC Digital Health October 8, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s44247-025-00174-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Working women recruited by opportunity sampling, social media, and a website |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Measures | Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), wearable device physiological indicators (resting heart rate, non-REM sleep rate, heart rate during non-REM sleep) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | App-based mindfulness meditation significantly reduced daily resting heart rate and led to marginally significant improvements in insomnia severity and non-REM sleep rate compared with a waitlist control. Within the intervention group, insomnia severity decreased significantly and heart rate during non-REM sleep decreased marginally. The authors conclude the intervention improved subjective and objective sleep quality among working women. |
Abstract
Although working women experience significant work-related stress, preventive interventions to reduce its negative impact on their mental health are inadequate. Interventions for improving sleep quality have been effective in reducing the negative effects of work-related stressors. Mindfulness-based interventions have been effective in improving sleep quality. We evaluated the effectiveness of an eight-week mindfulness meditation intervention, provided via a smartphone application, on working women’s subjective sleep quality and daily physiological indicators through a randomized controlled trial. This study recruited working women by opportunity sampling, social media, and a website. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 25) or waitlist control group (n = 28). Those in the intervention group practiced app-based mindfulness meditation every day for as many days as possible for eight weeks. Conversely, participants in the waitlist control group continued as usual for eight weeks. Subsequently, they began practicing mindfulness meditation every day after eight weeks. Participants wore a wearable device during the experimental period. We assessed their subjective sleep quality (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]) pre- and post-intervention and physiological indicators, which were assessed via the wearable device. We examined the intervention × time point interaction effect for ISI scores and the intervention × day effects for physiological indicators. We analyzed 75 data points (intervention condition, n = 49; control condition, n = 26) in the condition comparison analysis. The interaction effect was significant for daily resting heart rate (γ= -0.08, p < .001) and marginally significant for ISI scores (b =-2.04, p = .051) and the rate of non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (γ = 0.00, p = .06). Participants in the intervention condition demonstrated a significant decrease in ISI scores (b =-1.55, p = .013) and a marginally significant decrease in heart rate during non-REM sleep (γ=-0.04, p = .07). These findings indicate that app-based mindfulness meditation was effective in improving subjective and objective sleep quality among working women. Therefore, app-based meditation is a promising intervention. Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (JRCT) jRCT1030240315 (registration date: 2 September 2023); https://jrct.mhlw.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCT1030240315 .
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
Cites 8
- 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
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia Sleep August 29, 2014
- Daily interventions and assessments: The effect of online self-compassion meditation on psychological health. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being April 23, 2021
- The Integration of Meditation and Positive Psychology Practices to Relieve Stress in Women Workers (Flourish): Effects in Two Pilot Studies. Behavioral Sciences March 26, 2021
- Testing a mindfulness meditation mobile app for the treatment of sleep-related symptoms in adults with sleep disturbance: A randomized controlled trial PLoS One January 7, 2021
and 3 more in the library