Mindfulness Meditation for Insomnia

Neurophysiological Patterns of Mindfulness Meditation for Insomnia

This is a pilot study evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a non-pharmacological, mind-body intervention to improve sleep quality, including a preliminary evaluation of neurophysiological signals. The study involves 4 weeks of guided mind-body practice at home using a smartphone app during bedtime and pre/post in-lab sleep study visits.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1. age 20 - 50 years*
• 2. chronic insomnia (defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in Social Medicine, DSM-V or International Classification of Sleep Disorders - Third Edition, ICSD-3) with sleep latency >20 minutes
• 3. speak and understand English
• 4. have a smart phone for mobile app installation

Exclusion Criteria:

• 1. sleep disorders other than insomnia (e.g., narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, sleep deprivation, jet lag, etc)
• 2. shift worker or routine night shifts
• 3. women with pregnancy or breast feeding
• 4. history of head trauma or surgery
• 5. regular (defined as twice a week or more) practice of mind-body interventions
• 6. neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy, dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease, neuroinfections, brain tumors, etc.)
• 7. current use of neurologic, psychiatric, or cardiovascular medications that have expected neuropsychiatric or cardiovascular effects (i.e., beta-blockers, hypnotics, antidepressants).