Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, MI, USA; Maternal Fetal Medicine, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA.
2 papers in the library · 25 citations · publishing 2023-2024
A mindfulness-based sleep program for pregnant women with insomnia appears to work by reducing nighttime cognitive arousal and the effort invested in trying to sleep. In a small trial of 12 pregnant women with insomnia disorder, 75% reported high cognitive arousal before treatment, dropping to 8.3% after treatment. All women whose insomnia remitted had low cognitive arousal afterward, while half of non-remitters still had high arousal. Lower cognitive arousal and less sleep effort predicted same-week improvements in insomnia and later reductions in depression. The findings suggest that quieting a racing mind and decreasing sleep effort are key mechanisms through which mindfulness-based insomnia therapy alleviates both insomnia and depression during pregnancy.
A mindfulness sleep program for pregnant women with insomnia, combining behavioral sleep strategies and meditation, led to large increases in everyday mindfulness and medium-large increases in maternal-fetal attachment. Participants also reported large reductions in anxiety, repetitive thinking, insomnia-focused rumination, and sleep-related daytime impairment. These preliminary results from a small trial of 11 women suggest that such a program may benefit multiple aspects of maternal wellbeing beyond sleep and depressed mood.