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Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with Yoga nidra practice in
Karuna Datta1, Anna Bhutambare2, Mamatha V L3
1Human Sleep Research Lab, c/o Department of Sports Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Plos One
|December 13, 2023
Summary
Yoga Nidra practice significantly improved objective sleep quality and cognitive functions. This complementary therapy enhanced sleep efficiency and boosted accuracy in various cognitive tasks, demonstrating its broad benefits.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Sleep Science
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) offers health benefits, with Yoga Nidra known for stress reduction and improving subjective sleep quality.
- Objective data on Yoga Nidra's impact on sleep and cognition remains limited, necessitating further investigation.
- Previous studies focused on subjective sleep improvements, leaving objective sleep and cognitive effects unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively assess the effects of Yoga Nidra practice on sleep and cognitive functions.
- To investigate changes in objective sleep parameters and cognitive performance after a Yoga Nidra intervention.
- To explore the impact of Yoga Nidra on electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra during cognitive testing.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one participants underwent baseline sleep diaries (SD), overnight polysomnography (PSG), and a comprehensive cognition testing battery (CTB).
- Cognitive functions were assessed using tasks including Motor Praxis, Emotion Recognition Task (ERT), Visual Object Learning Task (VOLT), and others.
- SD and PSG were repeated after four weeks of Yoga Nidra practice, with CTB reassessed after one and two weeks.
Main Results:
- Yoga Nidra practice led to improved reaction times across all cognitive tasks and increased accuracy in VOLT, Abstract Matching (AIM), and N-Back tests.
- Objective sleep analysis showed significant improvements in sleep efficiency (+3.62%) and reduced Wake After Sleep Onset (-20 min).
- EEG analysis revealed an increase in delta power during deep sleep (+4.19 μV2), and ERT accuracy improved for most emotions, except neutral stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Yoga Nidra practice demonstrably enhances objective sleep quality, including increased sleep efficiency and reduced awakenings.
- The practice significantly improves cognitive processing speed and accuracy across a range of tasks.
- Yoga Nidra emerges as an effective complementary therapy for improving both sleep and cognitive functions.
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