Individuals that report lower wellbeing are more likely to be struggling with mental health issues.  Different disorders like anxiety disorders, mood, disorders  substance-related disorders, psychotic disorders, and cognitive disorders often have a low sleep quality.  This may be due to poor self-regulation and also attachment to everyday worries that impact sleep.


University of California, Davis

Improved sleep quality due to mindfulness meditation within mindfulness-based cognitive therapy could be the mediator between mindfulness, improved depression, and lowered relapse risk because mindfulness meditation reduces sympathetic hyperarousal and decreases negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, and rumination that can contribute to insomnia.

Sleep quality as a potential mediator between mindfulness and depression relapse

Howell, A. J., Digdon, N. L., Buro, K., &amp; Sheptycki, A. R. (2008, September 13). Relations among mindfulness, well-being, and sleep. Personality and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.08.005

Relations among mindfulness, well-being, and sleep

Howell, A. J., Digdon, N. L., &amp; Buro, K. (2009, December 5). Mindfulness predicts sleep-related self-regulation and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.11.009

Mindfulness predicts sleep-related self-regulation and well-being

Contrary to predictions, results demonstrate that although remaining depression symptoms improved after Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, objective sleep measurements do not support the prediction that mindfulness meditation improves sleep and actually increases arousal.  However, according to subjective accounts,  mindfulness helped improve sleep.   So, this leads to the possibility that participants could be under some sort of placebo effect because at face value, mindfulness meditation seems like it would help with sleep.

Results regarding sleep as a mediator between mindfulness and depression relapse

Meditation-related arousal in polysomnographic sleep was associated with improvements in depressive symptoms which is consistent with antidepressant literature findings that sleep may be depressogenic and sleep deprivation has antidepressant effects. Meditation practice increases dopamine and dopamine release is associated with sleep deprivation’s antidepressant effects.

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