Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest.
Sanjib K. Patra, Shirley Telles
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-009-9114-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized crossover trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Thirty male volunteers |
| Interventions | Cyclic meditation Supine rest |
| Duration | CM practiced twice in the day; HRV recorded while awake and during 6 h of sleep |
| Measures | Heart rate variability (HRV), low frequency (LF) power, high frequency (HF) power, LF/HF ratio, pNN50, EEG, EMG, EGG |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Parasympathetic nervous system Humans Electrocardiography Electroencephalography Electromyography Polysomnography Yoga Analysis of variance Data interpretation, statistical Stress, psychological Sleep Heart rate Respiratory mechanics Supine position Rest Male Young adult |
| Key findings | Sleep following daytime cyclic meditation showed lower heart rate, lower low-frequency power (n.u.), a lower LF/HF ratio, and higher pNN50 than sleep following an equivalent period of supine rest (P < 0.05 for all), while no changes followed supine rest. The authors suggest daytime yoga practice shifts sympatho-vagal balance toward parasympathetic dominance during the following night's sleep. |
Abstract
Day time activities are known to influence the sleep on the following night. Cyclic meditation (CM) has recurring cycles. Previously, the low frequency (LF) power and the ratio between low frequency and high frequency (LF/HF ratio) of the heart rate variability (HRV) decreased during and after CM but not after a comparable period of supine rest (SR). In the present study, on thirty male volunteers, CM was practiced twice in the day and after this the HRV was recorded (1) while awake and (2) during 6 h of sleep (based on EEG, EMG and EGG recordings). This was similarly recorded for the night's sleep following the day time practice of SR. Participants were randomly assigned to the two sessions and all of them practiced both CM and SR on different days. During the night following day time CM practice there were the following changes; a decrease in heart rate, LF power (n.u.), LF/HF ratio, and an increase in the number of pairs of Normal to Normal RR intervals differing by more than 50 ms divided by total number of all NN intervals (pNN50) (P < 0.05, in all cases, comparing sleep following CM compared with sleep following SR). No change was seen on the night following SR. Hence yoga practice during the day appears to shift sympatho-vagal balance in favor of parasympathetic dominance during sleep on the following night.
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 11
- Effect of cyclic meditation on anxiety and sleep quality in sailors on merchant ships-A quasi-experimental study. Frontiers in Public Health 2024
- Effectiveness of Yoga-based guided meditation In Improving the quality of sleep in patients with coronary artery disease: The Yoga Nidra Trial American Journal of Preventive Cardiology July 1, 2026
- Impact of an eight-week app-based mindfulness intervention on subjective and objective sleep quality: a randomized controlled trial among working women BMC Digital Health October 8, 2025
- Cyclic Meditation and Sleep Quality: A Review. Sleep Science December 1, 2024
- Possible Roles of Cyclic Meditation in Regulation of the Gut-Brain Axis Frontiers in Psychology December 22, 2021
and 6 more in the library