Does Meditation Improve Cognition Through Sleep?
Sidath Rankaduwa, Adrian M. Owen, Emily Sophia Nichols
November 19, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/d4czh (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that inconsistent and methodologically limited evidence undermines claims that meditation reliably improves cognition, and proposes that meditation may benefit sleep directly, which could account for any downstream cognitive benefits. |
Abstract
Meditation has often been touted as a reliable way to improve one’s cognition. Several studies have demonstrated a variety of structural brain and behavioral changes related to meditation practice, further supporting its use as a cognitive intervention. However, many of these purported benefits have failed to replicate in similar studies. Recent reviews of the meditation/cognition literature have also identified a number of methodological shortcomings that are prevalent in most of these studies. In light of these issues, we review the literature on meditation and cognition, in an effort to better understand the relationship between the two and how (if at all) meditation may exert an influence over cognitive performance. We argue in favor of a recent hypothesis that meditation may have direct benefits for sleep, which might ultimately explain any downstream benefits on cognitive performance.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 50
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- 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
- Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. Emotion February 6, 2012
and 45 more in the library