Effects of gentle yoga on sleep
Researchers at the University of Washington, in Seattle, studied changes in sleep in older women with osteoarthritis.
First, the details.
- 14 women with osteoarthritis and symptoms of insomnia completed an 8-week yoga program that included 75-minute weekly classes and 20 minutes of nightly home practice.
- Symptom questionnaires, sleep diaries, and 1 week of wrist actigraphy were completed.
- Actigraphic measures estimate sleep amounts and sleep continuity in patients with sleep disorders.
And, the results.
- 13 women completed the study.
- The Insomnia Severity Index and diary-reported sleep onset latency (time before falling asleep), sleep efficiency (the ratio of time spent asleep to time spent in bed), and number of nights with insomnia were significantly improved.
- Other sleep outcomes (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, diary-reported total sleep time and wake after sleep onset) showed improvement, but these were not statistically significant.
- Actigraphic sleep outcomes were not significantly changed.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “This study supports the feasibility and acceptability of a standardized evening yoga practice for middle-aged to older women with osteoarthritis.”
Past studies of yoga in women with insomnia have been of low quality.
This was a preliminary study, and it will require confirmation of the results in future research.
9/6/11 21:06 JR
