Practitioners of vipassana meditation exhibit enhanced slow wave sleep and REM sleep states across different age groups

Abstract

Intense meditation practices influence brain functions in different ways and at different levels. Earlier studies have shown that meditation practices help to organize sleep-wake behavior. In the present study, we evaluated the sleep architecture of vipassana meditators across different age groups. Whole-night polysomnography was carried out in healthy male subjects between 30 and 60 years of age from control (n = 46) and meditation (n = 45) groups. They were further divided into younger-(30-39 years), middle-(40-49 years), and older-aged (50-60 years) groups. Sleep variables were evaluated from subjects who had a sleep efficiency index more than 85%. The sleep architecture of vipassana meditators was different from that of control groups. Vipassana meditators showed enhanced slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep states with an enhanced number of sleep cycles across all age groups. When compared to meditators, the control groups exhibited pronounced age-associated decrease in slow wave sleep states. Our study suggests that vipassana meditation helps to establish a proper sleep structure in old age, probably through its capacity to induce neuronal plasticity events leading to stronger network synchronization and cortical synaptic strengthening.

Experienced Mindfulness Meditators Exhibit Higher Parietal-Occipital EEG Gamma Activity during NREM Sleep

“…A reduction in TST has been recently reported by another sleep study in LTM [45], and it indicates that meditation practice may decrease sleep needs. However other studies [46], [47] investigating sleep architecture didn't find a reduction of TST, suggesting that the sleep architecture is not the most reliable parameter to study the effect of meditation on neuronal plasticity during sleep. Consistent with this idea, we did not find a correlation between the changes in any traditional polysomnographic sleep parameters and meditation practice.…”

Meditation and Its Regulatory Role on Sleep

“…Studies by Sulekha et al (2006) and Ravindra et al (2010) demonstrated the differences in sleep architecture in practitioners of Vipassana meditation (mindfulness meditation). The sleep architecture of senior practitioners of Vipassana meditation was endowed with enhanced states of SWS and REM sleep compared to that of non-meditating control group.…”

Contribution of REM sleep and N2 sleep spindles to procedural memory consolidation in Vipassana meditators and non-meditating controls.

“…Our finding is unexpected because practice of meditation has been associated with increased neuroplasticity [126][127][128], and is thought to have neuroprotective effects against cognitive decline [129] and psychopathology [130]. For instance, in one study [131] Vipassana practitioners showed no age-related decline in slow-wave sleep and REM sleep compared to controls, suggesting that Vipassana practice may protect against age-related neurodegeneration.…”