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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Mar:166:111169.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111169. Epub 2023 Jan 29.

A closer look at yoga nidra- early randomized sleep lab investigations

Erica Sharpe  1 , Matthew P Butler  2 , Jesse Clark-Stone  3 , Ramin Soltanzadeh  4 , Ripu Jindal  5 , Douglas Hanes  6 , Ryan Bradley  7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A closer look at yoga nidra- early randomized sleep lab investigations

Erica Sharpe et al. J Psychosom Res. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to examine trial feasibility plus physiological and psychological effects of a guided meditation practice, Yoga Nidra, in adults with self-reported insomnia.

Methods: Twenty-two adults with self-reported insomnia were recruited to attend two visits at our research center. At Visit 1 (V1), participants were asked to lie quietly for ninety minutes. The primary outcome was change in electroencephalography (EEG). Heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate and self-reported mood and anxiety were also measured. At Visit 2 (V2), the same protocol was followed, except half of participants were randomized to practice Yoga Nidra for the first 30-min.

Results: There were no between-group changes (V1-V2) in alpha EEG power at O1 (Intervention: 13 ± 70%; Control: -20 ± 40%), HRV or sleep onset latency in response to Yoga Nidra. Respiratory rate, however, showed statistically significant difference between groups (Yoga Nidra -1.4 breaths per minute (bpm) change during and - 2.1 bpm afterwards vs. Control +0.2 bpm during and + 0.4 bpm after; p = .03 for both during and after). The intervention displayed good acceptability (well-tolerated) and credibility (perceived benefit ratings) with implementation success (target sample size reached; 5% dropout rate).

Conclusions: This preliminary clinical trial provides early evidence that Yoga Nidra is a well-tolerated, feasible intervention for adults reporting insomnia. Decreased respiratory rate in response to Yoga Nidra needs to be confirmed in more definitive studies.

Trial registration information: This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as "A Closer Look at Yoga Nidra: Sleep Lab Analyses" (NCT#03685227).

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03685227.

Keywords: Audio recording; Electroencephalogram; Insomnia; Mind-body medicine; Respiration rate; Yoga Nidra.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethics approval: This study was approved by the IRB at NUNM.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Description of recruitment and retention data.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Change in EEG power from Visit 1 to Visit 2 at four frequency ranges (alpha, beta, theta and delta), measured at three locations or sites (central [C3], frontal [F3], and occipital lobes [O1]) during the first third of the 90-minute measurement period (A: “During Yoga Nidra”; during which Yoga Nidra took place at V2 in the Intervention Group); and during the last hour of the measurement period (B: “After Yoga Nidra”; during which time both groups were allowed to nap). While average values demonstrate changes occurring between groups, none of these changes were significantly different between groups (P-value> .05). However, changes in alpha and theta at O1 approached significance after the nap (between-group P-values of .05 and .08). The asterisk in 2A indicates our primary outcome, alpha power at O1.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Change in EEG power from Visit 1 to Visit 2 at four frequency ranges (alpha, beta, theta and delta), measured at three locations or sites (central [C3], frontal [F3], and occipital lobes [O1]) during the first third of the 90-minute measurement period (A: “During Yoga Nidra”; during which Yoga Nidra took place at V2 in the Intervention Group); and during the last hour of the measurement period (B: “After Yoga Nidra”; during which time both groups were allowed to nap). While average values demonstrate changes occurring between groups, none of these changes were significantly different between groups (P-value> .05). However, changes in alpha and theta at O1 approached significance after the nap (between-group P-values of .05 and .08). The asterisk in 2A indicates our primary outcome, alpha power at O1.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Time-course analysis of mean respiration rate changes (Visit 1 to Visit 2), throughout 90-minutes of measurement comparing guided Yoga Nidra + unguided rest vs. unguided rest alone. Y axis shows difference between respiration rate (RR) at Visit 1 and Visit 2.
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