Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with Yoga nidra practice in novices.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-arm pre-post interventional study without a control group.
PubMed 38091317 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0294678
What was done
41 novice participants practiced Yoga nidra to evaluate its effects on objective sleep and cognitive metrics. Baseline and post-intervention sleep were evaluated using sleep diaries and overnight polysomnography (PSG) at four weeks. Cognitive function was measured at baseline, one week, and two weeks using a multi-domain cognition testing battery (CTB) alongside EEG power spectral density recordings during testing.
What was found
Post-intervention compared to baseline showed: - Sleep efficiency increased by +3.62% (95% CI: 0.3 to 5.15; p = 0.03, r = 0.42). - Wake after sleep onset decreased by -20 min (95% CI: -35.78 to -5.02; p = 0.003, d = 0.84). - Delta power during deep sleep increased by +4.19 μV² (95% CI: 0.5 to 9.5; p = 0.04, r = 0.43). - Reaction times improved across all cognitive tasks. - Accuracy increased in the visual object learning task (VOLT; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.17; p = 0.002, d = 0.79), abstract matching (AIM; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.12; p = 0.02, d = 0.61), and fractal-2-back working memory task (NBACK; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.13; p = 0.04, d = 0.56). - Emotion recognition accuracy increased for happy, fear, and anger stimuli (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.24; p = 0.004, d = 0.75), but decreased for neutral stimuli (95% CI: -0.31 to -0.12; p = 0.04, r = 0.33).
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary objective polysomnographic and electrophysiological data indicating that Yoga nidra may alter sleep architecture and specific cognitive processing domains in novices.
Limits
The study had no control or sham intervention group, making it impossible to separate intervention effects from practice/learning effects on repeated cognitive testing or non-specific time effects. The sample size was small (n = 41), and long-term durability beyond four weeks was not evaluated.
Cited by
- supports Yoga nidra and similar practices can improve rates of learning.