NCT05026541

Resilience to Sleep Deprivation and Changes in Sleep Architecture in Shoonya Meditators

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to investigate the effect of a 15-minute meditation practice on sleep architecture and high-frequency Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV), as well as cognitive performance after both a well-rested and sleep-deprived night.

Detailed description

Sleep is physiologically important for memory consolidation, mood and hormonal regulation, and maintaining low levels of systemic inflammation. However, a substantial proportion of people are reported to regularly sleep less than the recommended 7-9 hours a night. Meditation may be a means to mitigate the negative effects of sleep deprivation, as many types of meditations are associated with increasing high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), which is an index of parasympathetic control of the heart. Greater parasympathetic drive may be associated with physiological buffering of the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. The investigators want to conduct a prospective cohort study where subjects are asked to learn and practice a 15-minute meditation (shoonya meditation) or continue their usual routine. Subjects will be asked to complete some cognitive tests before and after a night of sleep and a night of sleep deprivation. During the night of sleep, participants will undergo polysomnography recording for sleep architecture and quality. The intervention group will be asked to undergo these same study procedures after 2 months of meditation practice. The control group, which continues their usual routine, will only undergo one visit.

Conditions

• Sleep
• Sleep Deprivation
• Cognitive Change

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Nap Practitioners	Regular nappers will be given a 30 minute nap opportunity to nap for as long as they please.
BEHAVIORAL	Shoonya Meditation	This is a 15 minute meditation, described as a process of conscious non-doing.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-09-12
• Primary completion: 2025-12-31
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2021-08-30
• Last updated: 2025-02-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States