Helping insomniacs likely involves more than behavioral strategies and may require tailored approaches.
Australian researchers have found compelling evidence that insomnia may be linked to disruptions in the brain's natural 24-hour rhythm of mental activity, shedding light on why some people struggle to 'switch off' at night. Published in the journal Sleep Medicine, the study led by the University of South Australia (UniSA) is the first to map how cognitive activity fluctuates across the day in individuals with chronic insomnia, compared to healthy sleepers.
Insomnia affects about 10% of the population, and up to 33% of older adults, with many reporting an overactive or 'racing' mind at night. While this has long been linked to cognitive hyperarousal, it has remained unclear the source of those thought patterns. Researchers examined whether the inability to downregulate mental activity at night, which is a hallmark of insomnia, reflects underlying circadian rhythm abnormalities.
Under tightly controlled laboratory conditions, 32 older adults were monitored (16 with insomnia and 16 healthy sleepers) over 24 hours of wakeful bedrest. This approach eliminated environmental and behavioral cues, allowing scientists to isolate the brain's internal rhythms. Participants remained awake in a dimly lit room, in bed, with food and activity carefully controlled. They completed hourly checklists, assessing the tone, quality and controllability of their thoughts.
Both healthy sleepers and insomniacs showed clear circadian patterns in mental activity, with peaks in the afternoon and troughs in the early morning. However, several key differences emerged in the insomnia group. "Unlike good sleepers, whose cognitive state shifted predictably from daytime problem-solving to nighttime disengagement, those with insomnia failed to downshift as strongly," said lead researcher UniSA Professor Kurt Lushington. "Their thought patterns stayed more daytime-like in the night-time hours when the brain should be quietening."
Their cognitive peaks were also delayed by around six and a half hours, suggesting that their internal clocks may encourage alert thinking well into the night. "Sleep is not just about closing your eyes," Lushington said. "It's about the brain disengaging from goal-directed thought and emotional involvement. Our study shows that in insomnia, this disengagement is blunted and delayed, likely due to circadian rhythm abnormalities. This means that the brain doesn't receive strong signals to 'power down' at night."
Co-investigator, UniSA professor Jill Dorrian said the findings highlight new treatment possibilities for insomniacs, such as interventions that strengthen circadian rhythms. "These include timed light exposure and structured daily routines that may restore the natural day-night variation in thought patterns," she said. "Practicing mindfulness may also help quieten the mind at night."
The researchers say that current treatments often focus on behavioral strategies, but these findings suggest that tailored approaches addressing circadian and cognitive factors could offer a solution.
Mindfulness may help relationships
Life can put strain on any couple's relationship. But mindfulness could help keep it strong, according to a recent study from the University of Georgia (UGA). Stress from hardships like financial struggles or unemployment can often bleed into romantic relationships. If someone feels they can't get through tough times with their partner, their relationship can take a hit.
Mindfulness, the practice of staying in the moment, focusing on the present and accepting thoughts and emotions without judgment, could help. UGA researchers surveyed more than 400 couples with children who were receiving government services such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food assistance. It asked about their confidence in their relationship and the level of mindfulness each partner showed.
Based on the survey, couples who displayed more mindfulness were also more certain that their relationship would stay strong during hard times. "If you're struggling to pay attention or unable to be present in your relationship, how does that impact your relationship with your partner?" said lead study author Evin Richardson, who is an assistant research scientist in UGA's College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Do you have the ability to develop and maintain a healthy relationship, to deal with conflict in healthy ways? Richardson said if you are more mindful and more present in your relationship, "you're more likely to feel like you have the skills needed to manage issues that arise in your relationship."
Couples showing more mindfulness reported not only greater confidence in their relationships but also better relationship quality overall. They reported they felt stronger not just as romantic partners but as co-parents too. "We see a lot of spillover between the couple relationship and the co-parenting relationship," Richardson said. "If you feel really confident in your ability to have a healthy relationship with your partner, manage conflict in a healthy way, communicate in a way to be heard and understood, but also to listen and understand, you probably also feel confident in your ability to work with your partner as co-parents."
Effects of mindfulness may differ by gender
Both men and women reported that the more confident they felt in maintaining their relationship, the higher their relationship quality. However, women's mindfulness had different effects on the relationship than men's. When women reported more mindfulness, their male partner was more likely to feel confident in their relationship. On the other hand, when men were more mindful, there was no effect on their female partner's confidence.
"Previous research suggests that, in relationships, women are often the thermostat. Their actions and perceptions often have the biggest impact on how both partners perceive the relationship," Richardson said. "In our society, women are often expected to carry a lot of that relationship burden and often report more awareness around the quality of the relationship. We see women engaging with different materials to improve their relationship more often, such as reading self-help books related to relationships or listening to a relationship podcast. They're setting what that temperature is going to be."
Mindfulness is a muscle
This study is part of a larger effort to improve relationships in Georgia: the Elevate Couples Georgia project. Its findings helped explain how improving mindfulness through intervention programs, such as couples relationship education, may help couples improve their confidence in maintaining a healthy relationship, cope with stress and navigate obstacles.
The researchers said initiatives like the Elevate Couples Georgia program are available nationwide often for free or low-cost. Further, couples seeking help may also turn to research-based books and couples therapy. "Some people will say like mindfulness is a trait that you are born with or you're not. The way I think about it, mindfulness is a muscle," said Richardson. "You can practice mindfulness, be more aware of it and develop strategies to improve it. That's why we teach mindfulness practice."
Mindful meditation, prayer, gratitude practices and breathing exercises are all strategies that can improve mindfulness in daily life. "Taking advantage of those opportunities to improve your relationship and learn these skills, no matter what situation you're in, can have long-term effects on the well-being and stability of yourself and your family," Richardson said.
John Schieszer is an award-winning national journalist and radio and podcast broadcaster of The Medical Minute. He can be reached at medicalminutes@gmail.com
John Schieszer is an award-winning national journalist and radio and podcast broadcaster of The Medical Minute.
