Effects of Mindfulness Training on Sleep Problems in Patients With Fibromyalgia.
Alberto Amutio, Clemente Franco, Laura C Sánchez-sánchez, María del C Pérez-Fuentes, José J Gázquez-Linares, William van Gordon, María del M Molero-Jurado
Frontiers in Psychology 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01365 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Adult women with fibromyalgia syndrome |
| Intervention | Flow Meditation (Meditación-Fluir) |
| Duration | 7-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Fibromyalgia syndrome Second-generation mindfulnessbased interventions Sleep disorders Sleep quality |
| Key findings | Women with fibromyalgia who received a 7-week Flow Meditation (Meditación-Fluir) program showed significant improvements on all sleep-related outcomes—subjective insomnia, sleep quality, sleepiness, and sleep impairment—compared with a waiting-list control group, with effects maintained at 3 months. The authors suggest the program may be useful for treating fibromyalgia and other pain conditions involving sleep impairment. |
Abstract
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a complex psychosomatic pain condition. In addition to generalized pain and various cognitive difficulties, new FMS diagnostic criteria acknowledge fatigue and sleep problems as core aspects of this condition. Indeed, poor sleep quality has been found to be a significant predictor of pain, fatigue, and maladaptive social functioning in this patient group. While there is promising evidence supporting the role of mindfulness as a treatment for FMS, to date, mindfulness intervention studies have principally focused on dimensions of pain as the primary outcome with sleep problems either not being assessed or included as a secondary consideration. Given the role of sleep problems in the pathogenesis of FMS, and given that mindfulness has been shown to improve sleep problems in other clinical conditions, the present study explored the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention known as Flow Meditation (Meditación-Fluir) on a range of sleep-related outcomes (subjective insomnia, sleep quality, sleepiness, and sleep impairment) in individuals with FMS. Adult women with FMS (n = 39) were randomly assigned to the 7 weeks mindfulness treatment or a waiting list control group. Results showed that compared to the control group, individuals in the mindfulness group demonstrated significant improvements across all outcome measures and that the intervention effects were maintained at a 3 month follow-up assessment. The Meditación-Fluir program shows promise for alleviating sleep problems relating to FMS and may thus have a role in the treatment of FMS as well as other pain disorders in which sleep impairment is a central feature of the condition.
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 14
- Research in Mindfulness Interventions for Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Critical Review. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience July 28, 2022
- Recalibrating Pain–Mood Coupling in Fibromyalgia: A Hypothesis-Generating Multisystem Neurobehavioral Framework for Mindfulness-Based Interventions Anesthesia Research September 13, 2026
- Investigation of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Yoga Training in Individuals with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare June 21, 2026
- Brief Mindfulness Meditation Promotes Prosocial Driving Behaviour: Evidence From Virtual Reality. International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie December 1, 2025
- Reducing healthcare burnout through meditation: benefits and challenges. Cogent Mental Health 2025
and 9 more in the library
Cites 16
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized clinical trial Arthritis Care & Research January 31, 2007
- Intervenciones psicológicas basadas en mindfulness y sus beneficios: estado actual de la cuestión Clínica y Salud October 10, 2016
- Effect of Brief Mindfulness Induction on University Athletes’ Sleep Quality Following Night Training Frontiers in Psychology April 12, 2018
and 11 more in the library