Browsing by Subject "mindfulness-pohjainen hoito"

Insomnia and milder sleep problems are common complaints that affect about one third of the adult population. Because of the side-effects of hypnotics there is a growing need for new non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia. In earlier studies mindfulness-based treatments have proven to be effective for example in the treatment of depression and stress symptoms. It has also been demonstrated in multiple studies that mindfulness has many favorable effects on general wellbeing, such as increasing positive affect. The effects of mindfulness on insomnia and sleep have been the focus of large-scale research just for the past few decades. The objective of this thesis was to review the most recent research findings on the effects of mindfulness-based treatments on insomnia and sleep in different contexts, and to evaluate the reliability of these findings and the studies’ limitations. In addition, initial findings on the mechanisms through which mindfulness is thought to improve sleep are reviewed. Latest meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials and background information were searched form Pubmed and Google Scholar -databases. Three most recent systematic reviews or meta-analyses and six randomised controlled trials published after them were included in the review of the effects of mindfulness on insomnia and sleep. Seven studies were included in the review of the mechanisms between mindfulness and sleep. Research findings accumulated so far indicate quite strongly that mindfulness-based treatments might be an effective approach in treating insomnia and in improving sleep in general. Mindfulness-based therapies might even pose a potential alternative to traditional insomnia treatments. Especially the positive effect of mindfulness on sleep quality was demonstrated in many studies. However, the observed effect sizes varied between different studies. Research findings concerning the mechanisms between mindfulness and sleep suggest that more adaptive cognitive processes seem to play a central role.