Key result
Six-breath-per-minute and soothing rhythm breathing boost HRV ~67% versus watching nature videos.
Why the study?
Breathing retraining to improve HRV is increasingly integrated into psychotherapy, but no studies had directly compared a breathing pacer at 6 breaths per minute with compassion focused soothing rhythm breathing.
Does 6 breaths per minute breathing or soothing rhythm breathing improve heart rate variability compared to a nature video in undergraduate students?
Population
96 participants
Comparison
6 breaths per minute using a pacer vs soothing rhythm breathing vs nature video
Design
Randomized controlled experiment
Authors
Loading...
Slow breathing may aid HRV regulation as psychotherapy adjuncts; extends RCT evidence to controlled comparisons in undergraduates.
RCT (n=96)
Open-label
Randomized
No
Does 6 breaths per minute breathing or soothing rhythm breathing improve heart rate variability compared to a nature video in undergraduate students?
Absolute Event Rate: 84.9% vs 50.9%
p-value: p=<0.001
Both 6 breaths per minute and soothing rhythm breathing effectively increase heart rate variability compared to a nature video, suggesting their utility as adjuncts in psychotherapy for physiological regulation.
Steffen et al. (2021) conducted an RCT in Healthy undergraduate students (n=96). 6 breaths per minute breathing or soothing rhythm breathing vs. Nature video was evaluated on Heart rate variability (SDNN) during breathing practice (p=<0.001). Both 6 breaths per minute breathing and soothing rhythm breathing significantly increased heart rate variability (SDNN) compared to watching a nature video.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: