Dados do Trabalho

Título

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion Program on sleep quality, light exposure, and circadian markers in college students

Introdução

College students are a population exposed to conditions adverse to their health, such as sleep irregularity, poor sleep hygiene, inadequate exposure to light, and circadian misalignment. Evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in health promotion, including improving sleep quality.

Objetivo

To evaluate the effect of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion Program on sleep quality (subjective and objective), light exposure, and circadian markers (6-sulfatoxymelatonin and cortisol daily excretion profile).

Métodos

A longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial with two parallel arms (experimental: Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion Program; control: Sleep Psychoeducation). Students enrolled at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo and Centro Universitário Sao Camilo with poor subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score higher than 5) were included. The interventions consisted of eight weekly, one-hour meetings. Evaluations were done at three-time points: pre- intervention (ten days before the beginning of the intervention), during (between the third and fourth weeks), and post-intervention (one week after the end of the intervention) and were done by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (subjective sleep quality), actigraphy (objective sleep quality and light exposure rhythm) and urine analysis (6-sulfatoxymelatonin and cortisol).

Resultados

Twenty-five students composed the experimental group and twenty-two, the control group. No significant effect of any interventions on subjective and objective sleep quality and light exposure were found. Regardless of the intervention, the time of cortisol excretion peak was later during the intervention than before it began. For 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion, the mindfulness-based group had a lower night/day ratio post-intervention when compared to the control group.

Conclusões

No significant effects of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion Program and the Sleep Psychoeducation on sleep quality (subjective and objective) and light exposure were found. We observed preliminary evidence of a mindfulness effect on 6-sulfatoxymelatonin secretion and, of both interventions, on cortisol excretion.

Palavras -chave

sleep; mindfulness; circadian rhythms; actigraphy; college students