Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on adults with sleep disturbance: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.
Seong Min Kim, Jeong-Min Park, Hyun-Ju Seo, Jinhee Kim, Jin-Won Noh, Hyun Lye Kim
BMJ Open November 4, 2022 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058032 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with sleep disturbances, including chronic insomnia disorders and cancer |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Complementary medicine Primary care Sleep medicine |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that MBSR may be ineffective for improving sleep quality in patients with chronic insomnia and cancers. MBSR did not improve objective or subjective sleep quality in these subgroups, and compared with active controls it did not improve sleep-related daytime impairments (depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, quality of life). MBSR versus waitlist control may have improved subjective sleep quality, but with substantial heterogeneity (standardized mean difference -0.32; 95% CI -0.56 to -0.08; I2=71%). |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a meditation-based therapy originally recommended for stress management. However, it is currently used to alleviate sleep disturbances. Therefore, this contemporary systematic review aimed to elucidate the clinical effects of MBSR on sleep quality and sleep-related daytime impairment in adults with sleep disturbances, including chronic insomnia disorders. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). A comprehensive search was conducted using the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, AMED, Ovidembase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and four domestic databases: KoreaMed, KISS, KMbase and NDSL. The final search update was performed in June 2022. Two researchers independently selected relevant studies, assessed the risk of bias and extracted the data. Of the 7516 records searched, 20 RCTs and 21 reports were included. In the subgroup analysis, MBSR did not improve objective or subjective sleep quality in chronic insomnia and cancers. However, MBSR versus waitlist control might have been effective in improving subjective sleep quality, but with substantial heterogeneity (standardised mean difference=-0.32; 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.08; I2=71%). In addition, MBSR compared with active control did not improve the sleep-related daytime impairments including depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue and quality of life. The overall risk of bias included in this review was a concern because of performance and detection bias. MBSR might be ineffective for improving sleep quality in patients with chronic insomnia and cancers. In addition, more than half of the RCTs included in this review had small sample sizes and were vulnerable to performance and detection biases. Therefore, well-designed RCTs with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the clinical effects of MBSR in adults with sleep disturbances. CRD42015027963.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on quality of sleep among patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychosomatic Research May 1, 2025
- Addressing Psychological Distress in College Students Through Mindfulness Training: A Pre-Post Intervention Across Three Cohorts with Different Delivery Methods. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health June 27, 2025
- The Effect of Online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Sleep Quality in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research 2026
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of standalone digital mindfulness-based interventions on sleep in adults. NPJ Digital Medicine December 3, 2025
- Development of a (digital) mindfulness-informed intervention for older adults in nursing homes: description and reflection of a person-based co-design approach. BMC Geriatrics September 25, 2025
and 1 more in the library
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- 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
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