Finding it hard to sleep? There’s a new trick to learn that can help you zone in on the perfect snooze. A study took a group of 49 people who suffered sleep deprivation, and split them into two random groups. There were no marked differences between the groups in terms of anxiety and markers associated with insomnia. Monitoring their sleep patterns over the course of a year, the research from the Keck School of Medicine at USC says mindfulness is the key step to a deep sleep. The first group in the trial were asked to undertake a mindfulness course – a technique which teaches people to pay attention to the present moment and to disengage with the stress and anxiety of their thoughts. The second group were tasked with taking sleep hygiene classes – which the study noted “targets the modification of day-to-day behavioural and environmental factors that contribute to poor sleep”. So what was the sleep quality difference for those who ditched their phone and those who trained the mind? The research found that those who had taken part in the mindfulness training had greater sleep quality and suffered from less fatigue. Dr David Black who led the study also noted a reduction in depression, compared against the second group. Need some tips for mindfulness? Why not download a free app to help you work on the inner you.