Cyclic Meditation: Key to Better Sleep?

Cyclic Meditation: Key to Better Sleep?

Sleep is an essential component of our health and well-being. Too little sleep can have both short-term and long-term physical and mental consequences. One way to improve sleep quality is to practice yoga, which includes physical exercises (asanas), meditation and breathing techniques. A specific style of yoga known as cyclic meditation (CM) combines physical postures with relaxation techniques. Recent research suggests that CM may have a positive effect on sleep quality.

In a recent review, studies on the effect of CM on sleep quality were analyzed. The authors searched multiple scientific databases for relevant literature and included five articles with a total of 277 participants. All studies were conducted in India and included a diverse group of participants, including healthy volunteers, people with type 2 diabetes, alcohol abusers and caregivers of children with special needs.

The results show that CM can improve sleep quality, although the effects vary depending on the participant group. Because most of the existing studies are relatively small and limited to a specific setting, further research is needed. Larger, well-designed randomized trials could help establish CM as a general recommendation to improve sleep quality.

Basics and terms:

• Schlafqualität: Bezieht sich auf die Fähigkeit, leicht einzuschlafen, durchzuschlafen und sich erholt zu fühlen.
• Yoga: Eine uralte Praxis, die körperliche Haltungen, Atemtechniken und Meditation umfasst.
• Asanas: Körperliche Haltungen oder Übungen im Yoga.
• Meditation: Eine Praxis, die oft auf Atmung und Konzentration beruht, um die geistige Klarheit und Entspannung zu fördern.
• Zyklische Meditation (CM): Eine Form von Yoga, die Asanas mit Entspannungstechniken kombiniert.

Abbreviations used:

• CM: Zyklische Meditation

Science has always emphasized how important good sleep is for our health. This research could be another step toward better understanding and new techniques to promote better sleep - perhaps through practices like cyclical meditation.

The effectiveness of cyclic meditation to improve sleep quality

The present study provides a detailed analysis of the effect of cyclic meditation (CM) on sleep quality, based on scientific data. The focus is on analyzing relevant research that highlights the potential benefits of CM to increase sleep quality.

Research design and methodology

The review covers the period up to January 22, 2023 and is based on an extensive literature search in various databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were selected if they examined the effects of CM on sleep quality and were published in English. The following criteria were met:

• 5 Studien mit insgesamt 277 Teilnehmern, allesamt in Indien durchgeführt.
• 2 randomisierte kontrollierte Studien (RCTs) und 3 Einzelgruppen- oder Zwei-Gruppen-Vorher-Nachher- und Crossover-Studien.
• Teilnehmer waren gesunde Freiwillige, Patienten mit Typ-2-Diabetes, Alkoholabhängige und Betreuer von Kindern mit speziellen Bedürfnissen.

Results

The findings show that CM can produce significant improvements in sleep quality, with effect sizes varying between 0.56 and 4.90. These results highlight the potential utility of CM as a therapeutic approach to improve sleep quality.

Recommendations and future research directions

Although the results to date are promising, there is a need for further, comprehensive and randomized studies to confirm the role of CM in sleep disorders and to recommend it as a stand-alone yogic intervention. Important future approaches include the inclusion of various sleep parameters for more detailed analysis of the effects.

For a deeper insight into the study and further details, please refer to the full study, accessible at the following link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39698183.