IMPACT OF MEDITATION ON THE SLEEP QUALITY OF MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Medical students face an intense academic workload and high levels of stress, making them particularly vulnerable to sleep disorders. This study aims to synthesize the available scientific evidence on the effects of meditation and mindfulness on sleep quality in this population. The methodology consisted of a qualitative literature review, covering articles published between 2022 and 2025, searched in databases such as PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and Google Scholar. The findings indicate that regular practice of meditation and mindfulness is associated with significant improvements in various sleep quality parameters, as assessed by instruments like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), including reduced sleep latency, increased sleep efficiency, and decreased nocturnal awakenings. Additionally, meditation contributes to emotional regulation and anxiety reduction, factors that directly impact rest quality. A recent meta-analysis (Zuo et al., 2023) corroborates these results, confirming the effectiveness of these interventions. The contributions of this study lie in highlighting meditation as an accessible and promising non-pharmacological intervention for managing academic insomnia and promoting well-being among medical students.