The Influence of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on Sleep Quality in Indian Adults: An Open Trial Pilot Study

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is an advanced yogic breathing technique with a demonstrated impact on human physical and mental health. Even so, very few studies have observed its effect on sleep. This is the first study evaluating the impact of SKY as an intervention on sleep quality among Indian population. This study assessed both the immediate and prolonged effect of SKY on sleep quality. The secondary objective of the study was to evaluate the association between frequency of SKY practice and sleep quality. This was a single arm open-trial study, which included 473 participants. All participants underwent a 3-day SKY workshop offered by the Art of Living, and were assessed for sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, administered to the participants before the program (pre-intervention), immediately after the program (post-intervention), and at Day 40 (D40) after the program. Responses were grouped according to age, gender, and frequency of practice. The impact of the frequency of SKY practice on sleep quality was also investigated. The quality of sleep improved with SKY practice across the study population. Women recorded inferior quality of sleep at the beginning of the study, but experienced a greater improvement in sleep quality after the SKY practice, as compared to men. The younger population seemed to benefit over the long-term, while the older population had an immediate improvement in sleep quality, however, they were not able to sustain it. The effect size varied with the frequency of practice. Sleep quality improved markedly among those who practiced SKY daily, indicating an association between the frequency of SKY practice and its efficiency in improving sleep quality. The results demonstrate the efficacy of SKY in improving sleep quality across populations, irrespective of gender or age. This is indicative of the beneficial role of SKY in treating psychological disorders such as insomnia. The effect varies with the frequency of practice, with more frequent practice yielding better quality of sleep.