Evaluating the Psychological Impact of Yoga Interventions on Sleep Quality and Stress: An Empirical Approach

Abstract

Disturbed sleep is a matter of concern to all individual. When the problem reaches to the height it is called insomnia. In Insomnia, “insomnolent thoughts” (IT) prevent sleep and create heightened cognitive hyperarousal, which is a growing public health concern. Interventions conventionally used till now such as pharmacotherapy and CBT though gives relief, but often have limitations related to side effects. This process has openness to all, variable effectiveness and worth issues too. Age old approaches, especially yoga, have shown positive results in improving sleep quality by reducing stress and IT patterns. Present research are largely on isolated yoga practices or specific populations, which lacks generalisation. This study employs a randomized controlled trial (n = 292, adults aged 18–60, Delhi NCR) to examine the psychological benefits of nine diverse yoga interventions: Hatha, Yoga Nidra, Restorative, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Iyengar, Bikram, and Pranayama, each combined with talk therapy, compared against a control group receiving talk therapy alone. Over 12 weeks, participants will undergo structured sessions (3 per week), with pre- and post-assessments conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Perceived Stress Scale, and Cognitive Behavioral Insomnia Questionnaire. The study hypothesizes that yoga-based interventions, and particularly Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga, demonstrated greater improvements in sleep quality, stress reduction, and mitigation of insomnolent thoughts compared to talk therapy alone. By systematically comparing varied yoga modalities, this research clarified the mechanisms through which yoga enhances sleep and psychological well-being, while providing evidence-based guidelines for integrative, non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia.