Effect of Brief Mindfulness Induction on University Athletes’ Sleep Quality Following Night Training

Abstract

Given the need to alleviate sleep problems confronting athletes, the present experiment, conducted as much as possible in a naturalistic fashion that mimics daily life, seeks to examine whether a brief mindfulness induction immediately prior to sleep following night training can improve athletes’ sleep. A sample of university athletes (n = 80) was recruited and 63 of them were eligible to participate in this experiment. They were then randomly assigned into experimental group (n = 32) and control group (n = 31). Following night training and just prior to sleep, those in the experimental group received a self-administered brief 6-min mindfulness induction via a video clip, whereas the control group participants viewed a similar 6-min video devoid of mindfulness induction passively. Questionnaire-based measures of training intensity, pre-sleep arousal, state mindfulness, and sleep diary (i.e., level of rest, sleep duration, and overall sleep quality) were administered. Results showed that brief mindfulness induction reduced pre-sleep arousal, and improved level of rest and overall sleep quality, but not sleep duration. Pre-sleep arousal was also found to be a partial mediator in the relationship between the brief mindfulness induction and reported level of rest during sleep. These findings suggest that the brief mindfulness induction may be an effective approach for decreasing pre-sleep arousal and improving sleep quality after night training among athletes.

Effects of Mindfulness Training on Sleep Problems in Patients With Fibromyalgia

“…However, given the association between sleep quality and FMS symptomatology, and given the body of evidence suggesting that mindfulness can improve sleep quality in both clinical and non-clinical samples, it is reasonable to assume that improvements in sleep quality elicited through mindfulness play an important role in ameliorating symptomatology in individuals with FMS. This is in line with findings from this study, as well as with calls for FMS treatments that acknowledge the role of sleep problems in FMS and thus seek to directly alleviate this aspect of the condition ( Theadom et al, 2007 ; Prados and Miró, 2012 ; Adler-Neal and Zeidan, 2017 ; Li et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Furthermore, abnormal sympathetic nervous system reactivity in patients with FMS is associated with variability in cardiac frequency during sleep ( Prados and Miró, 2012 ). Additionally, pre-sleep arousal has also been found to be a partial mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and reported level of rest during sleep ( Li et al, 2018 ). Therefore, in the present study, in addition to decreased hyperarousal of the sympathetic nervous system and increases in parasympathetic activation through relaxation, mindfulness may have improved sleep quality via the cultivation of new metacognitive resources (e.g., detachment from self-referential processing and acceptance) that increase perceptual distance from painful and/or distressing sensory and psychological stimuli ( Lauche et al, 2013 ; Labelle et al, 2015 ; Van Gordon et al, 2016 , 2017 ; Franco et al, 2017 ; Wheeler et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Research also shows that sleep quality moderates the relationship between affect and pain in patients with FMS, and that a high quality of sleep thus increases patients’ tolerance to pain episodes. Similarly, it has been shown that sleep quality is a significant mediator in the relationship between pain and anxiety or depression in FMS patients ( Miró et al, 2011 ; Li et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, both poor quality sleep and pain can elicit catastrophizing thought and behavior patterns which in turn lead to the impairment of pain coping cognitive strategies ( Prados and Miró, 2012 ; Di Tella et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Recommended treatments for FMS include anti-inflammatories and antidepressants as well as other medication to target mechanisms of pain ( Crofford and Appleton, 2000 ; Crofford, 2008 ). However, sleep disturbances are one of the most common residual symptoms of antidepressant medication (ADM), and are associated with (amongst other things) exacerbating and perpetuating mood disturbance, poor quality of life, and reductions in mindfulness levels in FMS patients ( Modrego et al, 2016 ; Li et al, 2018 ). In addition, sleep studies using polysomnography have shown that ADMs can disrupt sleep continuity and increase the number of awakenings during periods of sleep ( Britton et al, 2012 ).…”

Incidencia del mindfulness en el estrés académico en estudiantes universitarios: Un estudio controlado

“…Oman, Shauna & Shapiro (2010), evaluaron el impacto del MF en 30 estudiantes universitarios, asignados al azar a dos condiciones, y obtuvieron diferencias significativas en la reducción del estrés, perdón y esperanza.Caldwell, Harrison, Adams, Quin & Greson (2010), reportaron el impacto del MF en 166 estudiantes universitarios durante 15 clases semanales en el incremento de la atención y la percepción del estrés. Li, Kee & Lam (2018), evaluaron el impacto de una breve inducción de mindfulness para mejorar el sueño de los atletas antes del sueño y después del entrenamiento nocturno (n1 = 32), en comparación con el grupo control (n2 = 31),…”