There are limited treatment options for older individuals with sleep problems, so the effectiveness of the alternative intervention, mindfulness, has been examined among those with poor sleep quality. Recent research by Black et al (2015) suggests that older adults can improve sleep disturbances by increasing mindfulness practices and adding meditation to their daily routine.
In this study, the two groups of participants all received a 6-week intervention for 2 hours per week, either Mindfulness practice education or Sleep Hygiene education. The Mindfulness intervention group showed significant improvement in their sleep quality compared to the Sleep Hygiene intervention group. Additionally, the Mindfulness group demonstrated reductions in sleep-related impairments over time, including insomnia and fatigue.
Overall, the practice of mindfulness in this study resulted in both short-term and long-term benefits for those with sleep disturbances. This finding supports the importance of integrating mindfulness in order to establish self-care practices and thus improve one’s quality of life while awake and asleep.
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