A cross‐sectional study on the relationship between meditation training and emotional intelligence in women

Aim We aimed to reveal the relationship of meditation with emotional intelligence (EI), sleep quality and melatonin level. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods Our current research was performed on middle-aged women. EI scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and night-time saliva melatonin were measured for 65 participants including 33 meditators and 32 controls. Results The meditation group showed a significantly higher EI score than the control group. In the regression analysis between EI and age, only the meditation group showed a significant positive correlation. The Pearson correlation analysis among all participants revealed a significant negative correlation between PSQI and EI. There was no significant group difference in the melatonin and PSQI.