Habit Change Anxiety - Better Sleep Through Mindfulness: Tackling Anxiety with Technology

Targeting Anxiety to Improve Sleep Disturbance: A Randomized Clinical Trial of App-Based Mindfulness Training

In this episode, Dr. Jud Brewer and colleagues discuss a novel randomized clinical trial examining the impact of the Unwinding Anxiety app on improving sleep disturbances caused by anxiety and worry. The study demonstrates that app-based mindfulness training significantly reduces worry-related sleep disturbances (WRSDs), with a 27% reduction after two months of use. By increasing emotional nonreactivity and breaking worry cycles, participants also experienced meaningful improvements in anxiety and overall sleep quality. The conversation highlights how app-based mindfulness interventions can provide scalable, accessible solutions for addressing widespread sleep and anxiety issues.

Full Reference:
Gao, M., Roy, A., Deluty, A., Sharkey, K. M., Hoge, E. A., Liu, T., & Brewer, J. A. (2022). Targeting anxiety to improve sleep disturbance: A randomized clinical trial of app-based mindfulness training. Psychosomatic Medicine, 84(6), 632-642. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001083

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