Abstract
Hectic, late-night lifestyle has reduced 90min sleep in 20% adults resulting in insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). We assess the scope of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a 4-component, breathing process in reducing EDS, generally and situationally. This is a prospective, controlled study involving randomized subjects without any sleep-wake cycle anomalies and prior experience in SKY. Subjects (n=52) performed 30min of SKY for 6days/week for 8weeks, while controls (n=53) performed sitting activity and Suryanamaskar for 4-weeks each. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to measure EDS at 0, 4, and 8weeks. SKY group showed significant ESS score improvements between 0-4weeks and 4-8weeks of 1.22 (p=0.0001) and 1.66 (p=0.001) respectively. Controls however failed to improve with score differences of 0.02 (p=0.892) and 0.02 (p=0.8212) respectively. SKY group showed significant ESS score improvement over controls at 4-weeks (difference=1.74; p=0.013) and 8-weeks (difference eight; p=0.0001). Improvement was most for obese people and those sitting in a halted car. Improvement in subjects' nighttime sleep and daytime wakefulness in SKY practitioners can be attributed to polyvagal theory. Increased heart rate variability (HRV) alterations and sympathetic hyperarousal in chronic insomnia; and cholinergic and GABAergic dysregulation in anxiety disorders are countered by regulated vagal nerve stimulation post SKY. Our study establishes effectivity of SKY in reducing EDS (total and situational), provides a clinical correlation for prior polysomnographic evidence and paves way for larger trials directed towards SKY prescriptions for insomnia.
Highlights
The human body has adapted its sleep-wake cycle diurnally i.e. with light and dark changes in the environment
Out of the 180 subjects approached in all batches, only 105 participated (Figure 1) They were randomized into two groups viz., study (SKY) group (n=52) and control group (n=53)
The randomly assigned subjects in Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) group had an average age of 19.68 years (SD=2.444), males 48%, height 165.23 cm (SD=4.65), weight 62.5 kg (SD=3.83) were compared to control group with an average age of 19.92
Summary
The human body has adapted its sleep-wake (rest-activity) cycle diurnally i.e. with light and dark changes in the environment. This synchronization called the circadian rhythm ensures homeostasis between the milieu interior and milieu exterior and makes the human body energy and resource-efficient. Any disturbance in this harmony can pose serious functional consequences. In the past 30 years, increased late-night entertainment and hectic routines have reduced 18 min of an adult’s nighttime sleep. 20% adults report impaired nighttime sleep and sleep 90 min lesser than adequate [1]. While 30% adults have reported ‘some sleep issues over a year’, 10% present with a clinical picture of chronic insomnia [2]
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