The effect of meditative movement on sleep quality: A systematic review.

Author: Wang F1, Eun-Kyoung Lee O2, Feng F1, Vitiello MV3, Wang W4, Benson H5, Fricchione GL5, Denninger JW5.
Affiliation:
1Department of Psychology, Guang'an Men Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. 2School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA. 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. 4Department of Psychology, Guang'an Men Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: prof_ww2005@hotmail.com. 5Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Conference/Journal: Sleep Med Rev.
Date published: 2015 Dec 12
Other: Volume ID: 30 , Pages: 43-52 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.12.001. , Word Count: 201



The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and assess evidence related to the efficacy of meditative movement (MM) on sleep quality. We conducted a comprehensive review of relevant studies drawn from English and Chinese databases. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes of the effects of MM (tai chi, qi gong, and yoga) on sleep quality were taken into consideration. Twenty-seven RCTs fulfilled our inclusion criteria and formed the basis for this review. Due to clinical heterogeneity, no meta-analysis was performed. Seventeen studies received a Jadad score of ≥3 and were considered high-quality studies. Findings of the 17 studies showed that MM has beneficial effects for various populations on a range of sleep measures. Improvement in sleep quality was reported in the majority of studies and was often accompanied by improvements in quality of life, physical performance, and depression. However, studies to date generally have significant methodological limitations. Additional RCTs with rigorous research designs focusing on sleep quality or insomnia and testing specific hypotheses are needed to clearly establish the efficacy of MM in improving sleep quality and its potential use as an intervention for various populations.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Meditative movement; Sleep quality; Systematic review
PMID: 26802824

BACK