A pilot, randomized, placebo-controlled study of mindfulness meditation in treating insomnia in multiple sclerosis.
Joseph B Guarnaccia, Valentine Y Njike, Anne Dutton, Rockiy G Ayettey, Judith A Treu, Beth P Comerford, Rajita Sinha
BMC Neurology July 11, 2023 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03309-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Persons with multiple sclerosis reporting chronic insomnia |
| Interventions | Mindfulness Based Stress Intervention for Insomnia (MBSI-I) sleep hygiene |
| Duration | 10-week intervention with assessments at 10 and 16 weeks |
| Measures | Pittsburg Sleep Quality Rating Scale (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Fatigue Insomnia Multiple sclerosis Sleep hygiene Sleep quality |
| Registration | NCT03949296 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training did not significantly improve sleep efficiency or self-reported sleep quality compared with sleep hygiene, but insomnia severity improved more with mindfulness at 10 weeks (not 16 weeks), and within-group improvements in sleep quality and insomnia severity appeared in the mindfulness cohorts at both time points. Several quality-of-life measures, including fatigue, mental health, and cognitive function, favored the mindfulness cohorts. |
Abstract
Mindfulness is an established approach to reduce distress and stress reactivity by improving awareness and tolerability of thoughts and emotions. This study compares mindfulness training to sleep hygiene in persons with multiple sclerosis (PWMS) who report chronic insomnia, examining sleep efficiency (SE), self-reported sleep quality and quality of life. Fifty-three PWMS were randomized (1:1) in a single-blinded, parallel group design to ten, two-hour weekly sessions of Mindfulness Based Stress Intervention for Insomnia (MBSI-I) over a span of ten weeks or a single, one hour sleep hygiene (SH) session over one day. The primary outcome measure was SE, measured by the Fitbit™ Charge 2 wrist device, at 10 and 16 weeks from the start of study interventions. Self-report outcomes included the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Rating Scale (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI). Nineteen participants in the MBSI-I group and 24 in the SH group completed the primary study. Subsequently, ten participants in the original SH group participated in the 10-week MSBI-I course and their data was added to the MBSI-I cohort (eMSBI-I). While neither SE nor the PSQI showed significant differences between MBSI-I, eMBSI-I and SH groups, ISI improved in both the MSBI-I and eMBSI-I vs SH at 10 weeks (p = 0.0014 and p = 0.0275) but not 16 weeks. However, pre and post assessments within the MBSI-I and eMBSI-I cohorts did show significant improvement in the PSQI and ISI at 10 and 16 weeks, while SH was significant in the ISI only at 16 weeks. Several quality of life measurements, including fatigue, mental health and cognitive function favored the mindfulness cohorts. This pilot study demonstrates beneficial effects of MBSR on insomnia, sleep quality and quality of life in PWMS. NCT03949296. 14 May 2019.
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 2
- Assessing the Impact of the Mindfulness-Based Body Scan Technique on Sleep Quality in Multiple Sclerosis Using Objective and Subjective Assessment Tools: Single-Case Study. JMIR Formative Research July 25, 2024
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety and functional recovery in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: A prospective study Psycho-Oncologie September 29, 2025
Cites 14
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia Sleep August 29, 2014
- Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with multiple sclerosis at 8 weeks and 12 months: A randomized clinical trial Multiple Sclerosis Journal July 9, 2018
- Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on symptoms and emotional competencies in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders November 2022
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction group training improves of sleep quality in postmenopausal women. BMC Psychiatry April 11, 2022
- Online meditation training for people with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. Multiple Sclerosis Journal April 2019
and 9 more in the library