Survey: Sleep and meditation

On average, we spend an incredible 25 years of our lives asleep. This makes restful sleep all the more important, because getting enough high-quality sleep is essential for our well-being. Permanent sleep deprivation can strain body and mind alike, because our organism is extremely sensitive to it. Our body can only recharge its batteries, strengthen its immune system and initiate important metabolic processes if we get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.

Good sleep is therefore the most important foundation for our health. In addition to the length per night, the quality of our sleep also plays a crucial role. Just because Germans spend an average of around seven hours in bed, it doesn’t mean that they actually sleep during this time.

In order to find out what keeps us up at night, the team at 7Mind launched a survey and asked over 5,500 people about the quality of their sleep. The survey asked participants not only about the reasons why they were restless at night, but also about their level of recovery in the morning, how long it takes them to fall asleep, and whether they meditate regularly. The main aim of the survey was to find out whether and to what extent a regular meditation practice has an impact on sleep quality.

Who was asked? The survey was sent by e-mail to the 7Mind community and answered by a total of 5,557 people. Only those participants who do not use medication to help with their sleep problems were included in the results. The majority of participants in the survey were female, between 35 and 65 years old, employed or self-employed. Around 7% were students and just under 5% were retirees. The vast majority of respondents reported living in Germany.

What was asked? The questionnaire first asked the participants at what time they went to bed, how long it took them to fall asleep, at what time they got up, and whether they experienced sleeping problems from the following categories: Problems falling asleep, problems staying asleep, health complaints, and bad dreams. The participants were asked to look at the period of the last two weeks and estimate how often their sleep was poor for any of the above reasons. In addition, 7Mind asked the participants whether they felt refreshed in the morning and how they would generally rate the quality of their sleep over the past two weeks. They were also asked whether they had a meditation practice (i.e. if they meditated at least three times a week or more) or whether they did not meditate at all. When analysing the results, these two groups were compared to find out whether regular meditation has a measurable effect on sleep quality. We summarise the main findings here.

Meditation and sleep

1. Meditating participants rate their sleep quality higher In general, the survey showed that slightly more than half of all participants rated their sleep as rather poor (almost 44%) or even very poor (8%). In the group of meditators (N= 1,503), well over 62% rated their sleep good to very good, and only one third viewed the quality of their sleep as rather poor. In the group of non-meditators (N= 1,167), this figure was around 47%.

2. Meditating participants wake up more refreshed Going to bed on time is one thing, but waking up feeling refreshed the next morning is another. Just under 33% of the participants were able to start the day refreshed at least three times a week, while the majority woke up feeling exhausted. A full 13% never felt fully rested during the two-week period. What about those who meditate regularly? Almost half of the participants felt refreshed in the morning, compared to roughly 30% of non-meditators. The biggest difference between the two groups was in the number of those who reported waking up feeling exhausted every day. Among the participants who don’t meditate, the proportion of those who wake up not feeling refreshed was almost twice as high (with 16%) as among those who meditate regularly.

3. Meditating participants more frequently sleep through the night Being able to fall asleep is an important prerequisite for restful sleep. But what about sleeping through the night? 35% of respondents reported waking up at least three nights a week and not being able to fall back asleep. The meditating participants fared somewhat better. Of those who practise mindfulness regularly, 42% slept through most nights, compared to 33% of non-meditators.

4. Most participants suffer from their own thoughts Participants were asked what they thought the reasons for their sleeping problems were. 75% of the participants who answered this question reported dealing with these problems every week. The biggest factor stopping them from sleeping: their own racing minds. The following terms were mentioned especially often: Ruminating, thinking, worrying and anxiety. Interestingly, among the group of meditators, there were more people who were plagued by their own thoughts, while the participants who do not meditate were more likely to have trouble sleeping due to stress. This suggests that people who worry a lot are more likely to meditate than people who are stressed.

What we can learn from this The survey showed that sleep disorders can have very different causes and come in many different forms. Although it’s not always the case, meditation can often be a solution for sleeping problems. It has been scientifically proven time and again that mindfulness has a positive effect on the duration and quality of sleep. It seems that this conclusion was also confirmed in the survey.

The fact that their worrying mind prevents so many people from sleeping is an alarming sign. Frequent ruminating not only robs us of strength, but also of zest for life. Racing thoughts are especially tricky at night, because we rarely come up with productive solutions during this time and are usually unable to do anything about a particular problem. While worrying also has a positive purpose in that it stimulates the brain to find solutions to problems, it can become a great burden at night.

Meditation can provide relief in these moments, because with regular practice we learn to create a distance to our thoughts, to observe them and let them go, instead of identifying with them. Sleep problems appear to be a mass phenomenon. This makes it all the more important to develop solutions that improve sleep and help people enjoy restful nights. Because only if we regenerate sufficiently during the night are we able to realise our full potential and take care of ourselves and others.

Other studies on meditation and sleep

Combining mindfulness meditation with cognitive-behavior therapy for insomnia: a treatment-development study (Ong et al., 2008) In a six-week group intervention with 30 adults suffering from insomnia, significant improvements in sleep quality were found with the help of mindfulness meditation, sleep training and components of cognitive behavioural therapy. In fact, the higher the number of meditation sessions, the greater the reduction in pre-sleep arousal.

Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances (Black et al., 2015)

This study also found a positive effect of meditation on sleep quality. The study examined 49 adults over the age of 54. After only six weeks, the participants who meditated regularly showed fewer signs of insomnia, depression and fatigue than the control group. The researchers found that meditation can even be as effective for sleep problems as psychotherapy or sleeping pills.

The reason: breaking negative thought spirals and changing body awareness.

4 Tips for better sleep

The 7Mind survey shows that many people suffer from sleep problems. Here are some simple tips to help you get better rest at night.

When we meditate for the first time, it’s normal that we might become sleepy in the process. This typical reaction is not a characteristic of meditation, but a sign that we are suffering from latent sleep deprivation. Many of us consistently don’t get enough sleep without realising it.

However, whether you meditate or not, there are a few simple tricks you can use to significantly improve your sleep.

1. Avoid coffee, alcohol and nicotine before bedtime Coffee is famous for its stimulating effect and is therefore obviously not a good bedtime drink. In fact, you should stop drinking caffeine a few hours before your regular bedtime, because the stimulant lasts much longer than many people think. Even if you can still fall asleep, the residual caffeine in your body will make your sleep more restless. Less obvious stimulants like cigarettes and alcohol should also be avoided in the hours before bedtime. The famously relaxing glass of red wine or beer may help you fall asleep a little bit more easily, but after a few hours the stimulating effects of alcohol kick in. And this will make your sleep noticeably worse. Nicotine in turn promotes the release of adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, so it also has a stimulating effect. In addition, nicotine increases the heart rate and blood pressure. Unfortunately, a relaxing bedtime cigarette is not a good way to fall asleep either.

2. No screen time In the last one to two hours before going to bed, you should try to switch off your mobile phone, TV, laptop and other electronic devices. Studies have shown that it is not just the high amount of information that causes restlessness, but also the blue light of the displays themselves. If you really can’t manage without your gadgets, there are now applications like “Nightshift” that switch the screen to a pleasant yellowish light. However, the better solution is to simply put your devices away and grab someone to snuggle up with or read a nice book.

3. The right sleeping environment The ideal bedroom is dark, quiet and relatively cool. Try to darken your sleeping space as much as possible. If you don’t have blackout shutters or dark curtains, you can use a sleeping mask. If necessary, earplugs can be used to block out street noise or loud neighbours.

4. Find a nice evening ritual Having a set ritual before bedtime sends a signal to your body that it’s time to get ready for bed. At the same time, it will help you leave the thoughts about your everyday life behind. You can create your own personal ritual however you like. Ten minutes of mindfulness meditation or relaxation exercises are especially helpful because they help prepare your body for sleep. Even if we manage to calm down in the evening, it doesn’t mean that we will fall asleep straight away. Sure, everyone experiences the occasional sleepless night when their thoughts keep racing or when their body just doesn’t want to switch off. However, if we lie awake in bed more often than not, worrying about not being able to fall asleep can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. That’s why it’s important to prepare for sleep as well as possible by establishing an evening ritual and creating the right sleeping environment.