The comparison of brief, online mindfulness and relaxation interventions to reduce stress and improve sleep-related outcomes in college students

Abstract

Objective

The current study aimed to examine whether brief online stress reduction exercises supplemented with sleep improvement strategies would reduce stress, arousal, and sleep difficulties in college students who were not required to use the sleep improvement strategies for participation.

Participants

A sample of 114 college student participants were enrolled because they were experiencing stress and/or wanted to improve their sleep.

Methods

Participants were randomized into an abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation, a mindful breathing, or a self-monitoring control condition for the 4-week intervention. Measures of physical relaxation, mindfulness, perceived stress, pre-sleep arousal, and insomnia symptom severity were collected.

Results

The APMR group improved on five of the six dependent measures and was significantly different than the SM group at posttest, but not different than the MB group.

Conclusion

The results suggests promise for brief, online, scaled back stress reduction interventions to reduce stress, arousal, and sleep difficulties in college students.

Keywords:

• Mindfulness
• interventions
• relaxation
• sleep
• stress

Acknowledgments

The last author, Nicole L. Jarrett, made significant contributions to the conceptualization, design, and implementation of the study under the supervision of the first author.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Oakland University.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.