Medical students often struggle with sleep because of stress and heavy workloads. Researchers in India are testing whether a simple 12-minute relaxation technique called Yoga Nidra can help them sleep better. In this study, 160 medical students with poor sleep will be split into two groups: one group will practice Yoga Nidra three times a week for four weeks, while the other group will receive regular sleep education. Scientists will measure sleep quality, stress levels, heart health, and anxiety to see which approach works better. This research could offer a quick, easy tool for stressed students to improve their sleep without medication.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a guided relaxation practice called Yoga Nidra can improve sleep quality in medical students compared to standard sleep education advice.
  • Who participated: 160 undergraduate medical students at a medical school in India who reported having poor sleep (scored above 5 on a standard sleep quality test).
  • Key finding: This is a study protocol describing the planned research, not yet completed results. The study will compare sleep improvements between students doing Yoga Nidra versus those receiving sleep education.
  • What it means for you: If successful, this research may show that a simple 12-minute daily relaxation practice could help stressed students sleep better without needing medication. However, results won’t be available until the study is completed and published.

The Research Details

This is a randomized controlled trial, which is considered one of the strongest types of scientific studies. Researchers will randomly assign 160 medical students with poor sleep into two equal groups. One group will listen to a pre-recorded 12-minute Yoga Nidra session (a guided relaxation technique) three times per week for four weeks. The other group will receive standard sleep education advice. By randomly assigning students, researchers can be more confident that any differences between groups are due to the intervention and not other factors.

The study will measure many different health markers before and after the four-week period. These include sleep quality using a standard questionnaire, stress hormones in saliva, heart rate patterns, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms. This comprehensive approach helps researchers understand not just whether sleep improves, but also how the practice might affect overall health.

The study follows strict ethical guidelines and has been approved by an institutional review board. All data will be analyzed using standard statistical methods to determine if differences between groups are meaningful or just due to chance.

Medical students face unique stress from demanding coursework, long study hours, and high expectations. Poor sleep can worsen anxiety, depression, and academic performance. Finding a simple, low-cost intervention like Yoga Nidra could help many students without the side effects of sleep medications. This study design allows researchers to determine whether Yoga Nidra actually causes better sleep or if other factors are responsible.

This study has several strengths: it’s registered in a clinical trials database before starting (which prevents researchers from changing their methods based on results), it uses random assignment to reduce bias, it includes a comparison group, and it measures multiple health outcomes. The study is being conducted at a reputable medical institution with ethical oversight. However, since this is a protocol paper (the plan before conducting the study), the actual results and quality of implementation are not yet known.

What the Results Show

This paper describes the planned study methodology rather than actual results. The researchers have not yet completed the intervention or analyzed data. The primary outcome they will measure is sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a widely-used questionnaire that assesses how well people sleep. Secondary outcomes include stress hormone levels, heart rate variability (a measure of how flexible the heart’s rhythm is), blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Once the study is completed and data is analyzed, these results will show whether Yoga Nidra produces better improvements in these measures compared to sleep education alone.

The study will also examine whether Yoga Nidra affects physical health markers like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Researchers will measure inflammation markers and stress hormones to understand whether the practice reduces the body’s stress response. Mental health outcomes including anxiety and depression will be tracked, since poor sleep often goes hand-in-hand with these conditions. These secondary measures may reveal whether Yoga Nidra benefits extend beyond just sleep.

Yoga Nidra has been studied for various health conditions in previous research, with some studies suggesting benefits for stress and sleep. However, most previous studies have been small or had weaker designs. This new study is more rigorous because it uses random assignment and a comparison group. The choice to compare Yoga Nidra against sleep education (rather than no treatment) is important because it shows whether the specific practice is better than general sleep advice.

Since this is a protocol paper, the actual study has not been completed yet. Once results are available, there may be limitations such as: the study only includes medical students in one location, so results may not apply to other populations; students who volunteer for a yoga study might be more motivated than average; and the study cannot determine whether benefits last beyond the four-week period. Additionally, the study cannot prove that Yoga Nidra works better than other relaxation techniques.

The Bottom Line

This research is still in progress, so no final recommendations can be made yet. However, the study design suggests that if Yoga Nidra proves effective, it could be recommended as a low-cost, accessible tool for medical students struggling with sleep. The 12-minute duration makes it practical for busy schedules. Confidence in recommendations will depend on the actual results when the study is completed.

Medical students and other high-stress students with sleep problems should pay attention to these results when they’re published. Healthcare providers looking for non-medication approaches to sleep problems may find this useful. However, people with severe sleep disorders or mental health conditions should consult healthcare providers rather than relying solely on this technique. The findings may not apply to non-students or people without significant stress.

The study involves four weeks of practice, so any benefits would likely appear within that timeframe if they occur. However, it’s unclear whether improvements would continue after stopping the practice or if regular ongoing practice is needed. Long-term effects beyond four weeks are not being measured in this study.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Users could track sleep quality daily using a simple 0-10 scale rating how well they slept, combined with weekly measurements of how long it took to fall asleep and how many times they woke during the night. This mirrors the official sleep quality assessment used in the study.
  • Users could set a reminder to complete a 12-minute guided Yoga Nidra session three times per week at consistent times (such as before bed or during a study break). The app could provide the guided audio and track completion of sessions over a four-week period.
  • The app could create a simple dashboard showing sleep quality trends over weeks, session completion rate, and correlations between Yoga Nidra practice frequency and sleep improvements. Users could also log stress levels and mood to see if these improve alongside sleep.

This article describes a research study that is still in progress and has not yet produced results. The findings described are planned outcomes, not confirmed results. Yoga Nidra should not replace professional medical treatment for sleep disorders, insomnia, or mental health conditions. If you have persistent sleep problems, anxiety, or depression, consult a healthcare provider for proper evaluation and treatment. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.