Effectiveness of Yoga Therapy in Improving Sleep Quality: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Despite the fact that the quality of sleep is essential for general health and well-being, a significant number of people deal with sleep disorders. With the help of this pilot study, the researchers wanted to determine whether or not yoga therapy is a useful intervention for enhancing the quality of sleep. A organised yoga treatment programme that included asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing methods), and meditation practices was administered to participants who had trouble sleeping. These participants were recruited and then put through the programme. Methods such as validated sleep questionnaires, sleep diaries, and actigraphy were utilised in order to evaluate objective measures of the quality of sleep. Furthermore, subjective perceptions of sleep were examined by means of self-reported judgements of the quality of sleep and the severity of insomnia by the participants. Following the yoga therapy intervention, there was a considerable improvement in both the objective and subjective measures of sleep quality, according to the preliminary findings. The participants reported a reduction in the amount of time it took them to fall asleep, fewer awakenings during the night, and an overall improvement in energy levels. Based on the data presented here, it appears that yoga therapy has the potential to be an effective holistic method for enhancing the quality of sleep and managing insomnia disorder. It is necessary to conduct more research with bigger sample sizes and designs that are randomized controlled in order to validate these early findings and have a better understanding of the processes that are responsible for the therapeutic effects that yoga therapy has on sleep.