Several years ago, I began on my journey towards increased mindfulness along with a small group of Extension colleagues. Maryanna Klatt, an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, instructed my class on mindfulness and stress reduction. I went in with an open mind expecting to learn methods to reduce my stress at work. I went away with many ideas to transform the way I look at the world.
My favorite and most rewarding lesson dealt with sleep. In her “Mindful Extension: A Guide to Practical Stress Reduction” group program, Maryanna related that you deserve sleep. Wow! What a concept! Your body needs rest to build an
d rejuvenate. You are a better person if you rest. Truly, a more restful sleep was not something I was anticipating when I began my mindfulness journey. Yet, as our weeks of class and daily practice came to a close, a more restful sleep was something I could identify as a tangible benefit of participating in the program.
I am a worrier and my mind is constantly busy at night as it tries to work through problems as big as mountains or ponder how to accomplish tasks at work and home. I was not very efficient at accomplishing all of the things I had spent the night thinking about because I was tired when the day arrived. I know many can identify with this issue given the number of people I talk to who share similar sentiments. I could even mentally list fellow non-sleeping colleagues who send and/or return e-mail at 3 or 4 a.m.
The concept of using mindfulness meditation makes sense intuitively and is now backed by a growing bank of good research. I came across an interesting study from the University of Southern California study. The study suggests that mindfulness meditation can improve sleep quality for those with sleep disturbances, including trouble falling or staying asleep, or feeling sleepy during the day. While the study specifically looked at sleep disturbances in older adult populations, it provides hope to all. The study assigned participants to two different sleep practice groups: mindfulness meditation and more traditional sleep hygiene education.
The study demonstrated that learning mechanics of better sleep, such as decreasing intake of stimulants (caffeine containing foods and beverages), limiting daytime naps, increasing exercise, and associating your bed with only sleeping rather than watching television, reading, or listening to radio in bed, can help us to establish better bedtime routines. However, the participants assigned to mindfulness meditation had much better sleep quality than their sleep hygiene counterparts.
While I still suffer from time to time with sleepless nights, I am happy to report that (for the most part) I am able to set aside the stresses of the day and find peace. It is a wonderful feeling to find the power within to set aside the worries and tasks of each day. I encourage you to participate in the “Mindful Extension: A Guide to Practical Stress Reduction” program or take advantage of free guided meditation from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. After all, Dr. Klatt is right – we all deserve to sleep.
Written by: Christine Kendle, MS, RDN, LD, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Tuscarawas County, Crossroads EERA, kendle.4@osu.edu
Reviewed by: Patrice Powers-Barker, MA, CFLE, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County, Maumee Valley EERA, powers-barker.1@osu.edu
