The science behind Calm: 27 studies and surveys
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Calm takes an evidence-based approach to well-being. Here's what researchers have found across sleep, stress, cancer care, workplace productivity, and more.
Since 2019, academic researchers at institutions including Arizona State University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have studied Calm in published, peer-reviewed research and user surveys. The studies below span randomized controlled trials, longitudinal surveys, feasibility trials, and qualitative research — published in journals including PLOS ONE, Obstetrics & Gynecology, JMIR mHealth, and General Hospital Psychiatry.
A note on how to read this page: Each finding reflects outcomes observed in a specific research population and links back to its source study. Calm is a wellness app, not a diagnostic or treatment tool. Individual results may vary.
Calm and sleep
Testing a Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App for the Treatment of Sleep-Related Symptoms in Adults with Sleep Disturbance
Randomized Controlled Trial · PLOS ONE · 2021
Findings: Over eight weeks, people using Calm had significantly larger reductions in fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal than the wait-list control group. Within the Calm group, more app use was also linked to better self-reported sleep quality.
A Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App Improves Depression and Anxiety in Adults with Sleep Disturbance
Randomized Controlled Trial · General Hospital Psychiatry · 2021
Findings: A secondary analysis of the same trial listed above found that people using Calm had greater improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety than the wait-list control group. The researchers found these mood improvements were largely explained by reductions in pre-sleep arousal, racing thoughts, and physical tension that tends to build towards bedtime.
Can a Meditation App Help My Sleep? A Cross-sectional Survey of Calm Users
Cross-Sectional Survey · PLOS ONE · 2021
Findings: In a survey of Calm users who used its sleep content, most said the app helped them fall asleep, stay asleep, and sleep more restfully. Among users with a mental health diagnosis, a majority also reported that Calm helped their symptoms. These are users' own perceptions, and the researchers note that controlled studies are still needed to test whether the app improves sleep.
Use of the Consumer-Based Meditation App Calm for Sleep Disturbances: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Cross-Sectional Survey · JMIR Formative Research · 2020 ·
Findings: In a survey of nearly 9,900 Calm subscribers who used its sleep content, people with insomnia used the app most often—about five days a week—followed by poor sleepers. Both groups were more likely than good sleepers to have downloaded Calm specifically to help with sleep, and typically used it while lying down to fall asleep.
Calm for stress and mental health
Efficacy of the Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App "Calm" to Reduce Stress Among College Students
Randomized Controlled Trial · JMIR mHealth · 2019
Findings: Stressed college students who used Calm for eight weeks showed significant improvements in perceived stress, all five facets of mindfulness, and self-compassion, compared to a wait-list control. The gains persisted at follow-up, with moderate to large effect sizes.
A Mobile App for Stress Management in Middle-Aged Men and Women (Calm): Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility RCT · JMIR Formative Research · 2022
Findings: A four-week feasibility trial in 83 middle-aged adults found Calm was well-received, with high satisfaction and good adherence. It didn’t produce significant improvements in perceived stress or other psychological measures, though the authors call for larger studies.
Identifying App-Based Meditation Habits and the Associated Mental Health Benefits: Longitudinal Observational Study
Longitudinal Observational · Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) · 2021
Findings: In a study of 2,771 Calm subscribers, people who meditated at a consistent time of day were more likely to keep using the app and report mental health improvements. These are self-reported benefits from observational data, not a controlled trial, but the findings suggest that anchoring meditation to a regular daily cue may help reinforce the habit.
Evaluation of Mood Check-in Feature for Participation in Meditation Mobile App Users
Retrospective Analysis · JMIR mHealth · 2021
Findings: In an analysis of 2,600 Calm subscribers, those who used the mood check-in feature were more likely to meditate the following week, completed more sessions, and spent more time meditating. The effect was strongest among previously inactive users.
Using Personalized Anchors to Establish Routine Meditation Practice with a Mobile App
Randomized Controlled Trial · JMIR mHealth · 2021
Findings: In a trial testing whether a daily anchor can help meditation become a habit, people assigned a fixed morning anchor kept meditating more consistently over an eight-week follow-up than those who chose their own anchor or had none. The most persistent meditators were those who stuck to their anchor, and nearly all of them anchored to the morning.
Characteristics and Usage Patterns Among 12,151 Paid Subscribers of the Calm Meditation App
Cross-Sectional Survey · JMIR mHealth · 2019
Findings: In a survey of 12,151 Calm subscribers, more frequent use was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting positive changes in sleep, mental health, stress, and physical health. Sleep was the most common reason people gave for downloading the app (62.9%). These are self-reported associations from a self-selected sample.
A Novel Educational Control Group Mobile App for Meditation Interventions: Single-Group Feasibility Trial
Feasibility Trial · JMIR Formative Research · 2020
Findings: To improve the quality of future meditation trials, researchers built and tested an educational podcast app that excluded meditation content, to serve as a comparison group. A trial in cancer patients found it usable, though the authors noted it needed refinement to better match the engagement of a meditation app.
Impacts of the Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App Calm on Undergraduate Students' Sleep and Emotional State: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Pilot RCT · JMIR Formative Research · 2025
Findings: An independent 2025 pilot RCT of 80 Canadian undergraduates found that 30 days of using the app's sleep section significantly improved their states of anxiety, stress, and sleep quality compared to a control group. These benefits were maintained even though only about half of the participants met the full recommended usage.
Calm in the workplace
Testing the Pragmatic Effectiveness of a Consumer-Based Mindfulness Mobile App in the Workplace
Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial · JMIR mHealth · 2022
Findings: In a workplace cluster RCT at a large multi-site U.S. employer, employees using Calm for eight weeks showed significant improvements over a wait-list control group in symptoms of depression and anxiety, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and some measures of work impairment, along with fewer medical visits.
The Indirect Effects of a Mindfulness Mobile App on Productivity Through Changes in Sleep Among Retail Employees
Secondary Analysis · JMIR mHealth · 2022
Findings: In this analysis of the same 1,029-employee workplace trial detailed above, Calm reduced insomnia symptoms among retail employees. Those whose insomnia improved tended to show less presenteeism and overall work impairment — though Calm didn’t produce an overall productivity benefit on its own. The researchers describe better sleep as a possible pathway to workplace benefits, and note this is among the first studies to trace that link in a real workplace setting.
Calm and cancer care
Leveraging a Consumer-Based Product to Develop a Cancer-Specific Mobile Meditation App: Prototype Development Study
Prototype Development · JMIR Formative Research · 2022
Findings: Researchers worked with cancer patients, survivors, and clinicians to design a prototype meditation app tailored to cancer care, using Calm as a foundation. Participants identified cancer-specific needs, including content addressing fear of recurrence and grief, along with symptom-based options and a dedicated cancer section.
Cancer Patients' and Survivors' Perceptions of the Calm App: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
Cross-Sectional Descriptive · JMIR Cancer · 2020
Findings: In a survey of 82 cancer patients and survivors who already use Calm, most reported high satisfaction with the app. Many wanted more cancer-specific content, such as meditations for fear of recurrence and coping with difficult emotions, and a majority were interested in a cancer-focused community feature. As a survey of existing Calm users, results reflect an already-engaged group.
Experiences of Using a Consumer-Based Mobile Meditation App to Improve Fatigue in Myeloproliferative Patients
Qualitative · JMIR Cancer · 2019
Findings: In a qualitative study, 128 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms who were new to meditation found app-based meditation enjoyable and preferred Calm over a competing app, citing the narrator's voice and content variety as reasons for their preference. Participants reported perceived benefits for mental health, sleep, fatigue, and pain.
Smartphone-Based Meditation for Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients: Feasibility Study to Inform Future Trials
Feasibility · JMIR Formative Research · 2019
Findings: In a feasibility study of 128 MPN patients, Calm scored higher than a competing app. Among those who completed the Calm program, 97% said they would recommend it, and Calm users meditated more than twice as many minutes per week as those using the competing app (about 71 vs. 31).
Associations Between Global Mental Health and Response to an App-Based Meditation Intervention in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients
Observational · Integrative Cancer Therapies · 2020
Findings: In an exploratory analysis of MPN patients using Calm, those with poorer mental health at the start tended to show greater improvements in depression, anxiety, and sleep. This suggests the app may be of particular value to patients with higher baseline distress. As a secondary, exploratory analysis, these findings would need further confirmation.
Calm during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Effect of Meditation and Physical Activity on the Mental Health Impact of COVID-19–Related Stress and Attention to News Among Mobile App Users
Cross-Sectional Survey · JMIR Mental Health · 2021
Findings: In a survey of Calm subscribers during the early pandemic, people who maintained a stronger meditation habit and stayed physically active showed a weaker link between COVID-19 worry and self-reported PTSD symptoms. The authors describe continued healthy habits as buffering some of the pandemic's mental health impact. As a survey of existing users, this shows association, not cause.
Mindfulness Effects in Obstetric and Gynecology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Randomized Controlled Trial · Obstetrics & Gynecology · 2021
Findings: In a randomized controlled trial, 101 outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients were assigned to either use Calm or receive standard care during the early pandemic. Those using the app showed significantly greater reductions in perceived stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as less sleep disturbance. These effects were observed at both 14 and 30 days.
Mental Health and Meditation Practices of Pregnant Women during COVID-19
Cross-Sectional Survey · Obstetrics and Gynecology Research · 2021
Findings: In an exploratory analysis comparing 50 pregnant and 250 matched non-pregnant Calm users during the early pandemic, pregnant women reported more COVID-19 worry but less severe depression and PTSD symptoms. They also showed larger increases in the strength of their meditation habit. The authors suggest stronger meditation habits may play a role, but note the study’s design can't establish cause.
Associations Between Rural or Urban Status, Health Outcomes and Behaviors, and COVID-19 Perceptions Among Meditation App Users
Longitudinal Survey · JMIR mHealth · 2021
Findings: In a survey of 8,392 Calm users, rural and urban users showed few meaningful differences in mental health outcomes during the pandemic, suggesting that location wasn’t a major driver of outcomes in this group.
Meditation App Habits and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of Meditation App Users During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Longitudinal Study · Mindfulness · 2023
Findings: In a longitudinal study of Calm subscribers tracked across six time points over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, stronger meditation habit strength was associated with more app use and, after accounting for other variables, with lower rates of anxiety, stress, and depression. COVID-19 worry was linked to increased app use, suggesting people turned to the app during periods of heightened stress. As an observational study, the findings show association rather than cause.
Calm and cardiovascular health
Usage Patterns of the Calm Meditation App Among People with Cardiovascular Disease
Survey · Mindfulness · 2021
Findings: In a survey of 1,512 Calm subscribers with cardiovascular disease, 67% used the app at least five times a week, and the most common reasons for starting were sleep (69%) and stress (67%). Those with co-occurring anxiety or depression used a wider range of features.
Calm for children and teens
Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Engagement in a Consumer-Based Meditation Mobile App: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Cross-Sectional Survey · JMIR Pediatrics · 2020
Findings: In a survey of parents whose children used Calm, nearly three-quarters said their child used it at bedtime, with Sleep Stories being the most used and most helpful feature. Parents perceived benefits for their children's sleep and well-being, with younger children more likely to use Calm for sleep and older children more likely to use it for stress and anxiety.
Describing the Use of a Mindfulness-Based App for Sleep and Mental Well-Being, Across Age, in Children
Observational · Child & Youth Care Forum · 2021
Findings: In a survey of 2,437 parents whose children used Calm, parents reported that younger children tended to use the app for sleep, while older children and teens used it more for stress and mental well-being. Parents reported perceived benefits for their children's sleep and well-being, though the authors note that controlled studies are still needed.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
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