Investigating the Effects of Yoga Nidra on Sleep Quality and Psychological Well-being in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy is often accompanied by significant physiological and psychological changes, which can impact sleep quality and overall well-being. Yoga Nidra, a guided relaxation technique, has been suggested to promote relaxation and improve sleep. However, its specific effects during pregnancy warrant further investigation.  

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Yoga Nidra intervention on sleep quality, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and psychological well-being, assessed using the Anxiety, depression and stress scale (ADSS) subscales in pregnant women.

Methods: Forty consecutive pregnant women were recruited between January and August 2024 and randomly allocated to either an intervention group (Group A, N=20) receiving Yoga Nidra sessions or a control group (Group B, N=20) receiving standard prenatal care. Baseline characteristics, including age distribution, were comparable between the groups. Sleep quality and psychological well-being were assessed at five observation points (O1-O5) throughout the study period. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirmed the normal distribution of the data for both groups across all observation points. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare post-intervention scores between the groups, and Repeated Measures ANOVA was employed to assess changes within and between groups over time.  

Results: Baseline characteristics showed no significant difference in age distribution between the intervention and control groups (p=0.920). The ANOVA results on post-intervention scores (Table 12) revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups for PSQI (p=0.08), ADSS (A) (p=0.17), ADSS (D) (p=0.22), and ADSS (S) (p=0.12). However, the Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference in PSQI scores between Group A and Group B when considering pre and post-treatment scores (p=0.03). No significant differences were found between pre and post-treatment scores within or between groups for ADSS (A) (p=0.15), ADSS (D) (p=0.21), and ADSS (S) (p=0.14).

Conclusion: While the point-in-time ANOVA of post-intervention scores did not show significant differences, the longitudinal analysis using Repeated Measures ANOVA suggests that Yoga Nidra may have a significant effect on improving sleep quality (PSQI scores) in pregnant women over the study period compared to standard prenatal care. The intervention did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on the measured aspects of psychological well-being (Anxiety, depression and stress scale) as assessed by the ADSS subscales. Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is warranted to confirm these findings and explore the mechanisms underlying the observed effects on sleep quality.