Effectiveness of a short Yoga Nidra meditation on stress, sleep, and well-being in a large and diverse sample

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that meditation-based interventions can have a significant impact on stress and well-being in various populations. To further extend these findings, an 11-min Yoga Nidra meditation that may especially be integrated in a busy daily schedule by people who can only afford short time for breaks was adapted and analyzed in an experimental online study design. The effects of this short meditation on stress, sleep, well-being and mindfulness were examined for the first time. The meditation was provided as audio file and carried out during a period of 30 days by the participants of the meditation group. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to analyze the data with Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) in order to cope with missing data. As expected, the meditation group (N = 341) showed lower stress, higher well-being and improved sleep quality after the intervention (very small to small effect sizes) compared with a waitlist control group (N = 430). It turned out that the meditation had a stronger impact on the reduction of negative affect than on the increase of positive affect and also a stronger effect on affective components of well-being. Mindfulness, as a core element of the meditation, increased during the study within the meditation group. All effects remained stable at follow-up six weeks later. Overall, a large, heterogeneous sample showed that already a very short dose of meditation can positively influence stress, sleep, and well-being. Future research should consider biological markers as well as active control groups.

The Thin Line Between Waking and Sleeping in Athletes: A Call for Yoga Nidra in the Sporting Context

“…Accordingly, they would need continuous exploration of more complete strategies to counteract physical and mental tension and other detrimental stressor effects. Moreover, sleep quality, proven to be increased by YN (e.g., Moszeik et al, 2020), is one of the essential parameters to improve recoverystress balance in athletes (Loch et al, 2019). Only recently, this technique was used in the archery context and was found to aid in better athletic performance not only directly by enhancing vigilance but also indirectly by increasing training participation due to better physical and mental recovery (Datta et al, 2020).…”

“…YN might improve sleep quality, as mentioned previously, and help athletes to deal with sleep deprivation. For example, because of its effects on sleep latency (Datta et al, 2017;Moszeik et al, 2020), exploring this practice might help athletes with the "sleepability" (the ability to nap on demand) that could be used as a strategic skill to manage sleep challenges and debt (Gupta et al, 2020). These could be due to, for example, travel fatigue and jet lag as athletes are often required to embark on long travel for competition reasons (e.g., van Rensburg et al, 2020).…”

“…Regarding styles, yoga can vary from a more physical practice, such as ashtanga yoga, to a more meditation-based practice, such as Yoga Nidra (YN; literally yoga sleep). YN was developed in 1976 as a relatively easy-to-learn meditation practice to be used by various people regardless of their previous experience (Moszeik et al, 2020). Unlike other meditation-based practices (e.g., transcendental meditation, body scan), considered as aware awake states, YN is rather considered as an aware sleep state (Sharpe et al, 2021).…”

“…More precisely, this practice, executed in supine position, naturally stimulates a hypnagogic state wherein an individual is physiologically asleep yet maintains an internal/external awareness (Sharpe et al, 2021); there is a withdraw from other senses, and only the auditory channel is open so that the participant stays aware of the directions coming from the instructor, but practices detachment from all other stimuli. YN interventions have been associated with significant improvements in sleep parameters such as sleep onset latency and sleep quality (Datta et al, 2017;Moszeik et al, 2020) because of a general parasympathetic dominance (Markil et al, 2012) and a subsequent high cardiac vagal control (Werner et al, 2015; see also YN Effects and Potential Benefits on Athletes); it first stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system increasing heart rate variability (HRV), or its high-frequency components (Markil et al, 2012), and alpha waves, to then demonstrate the symptoms of deep, non-REM sleep, including theta and delta brain waves (Parker et al, 2013).…”

“…This resolution is expressed as a simple, short, and positive sentence (e.g., "I am calm, " "I am successful"), which is repeated in the beginning and in the end of the session. Its regular mental repetition "drives" the unconscious toward the desired state by stimulating cognitive restructuring processes (Moszeik et al, 2020). Encompassing a sequence of guided body awareness, visualization, and breathing exercises, YN is also described as a complete and systematic method of inducing physical and mental relaxation achieved by turning inward, away from most of outer experiences (Saraswati, 2009;Parker et al, 2013).…”