Yoga Nidra Versus Music Therapy for Sleep and Mental Well-being in Post-COVID-19 Hospitalised Patients: A Three-arm Randomised Controlled Trial

An exploratory three-arm randomized controlled trial found that both Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy, delivered online for 30 minutes daily over 30 days, significantly improved sleep quality, mental health, and well-being in 90 adults recently discharged after COVID-19 hospitalization, compared with standard care. Yoga Nidra showed greater improvements in overall well-being and global health, while Music Therapy demonstrated stronger effects on sleep quality. Large effect sizes were observed across outcomes. No adverse events were reported. The authors propose these low-cost therapies as valuable adjuncts to standard care for post-COVID psychological distress and sleep disturbances.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disturbances, particularly among recently hospitalised patients. Non-pharmacological interventions such as Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy offer cost-effective and accessible alternatives for improving psychological well-being and sleep quality in this population. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the effects of Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy on sleep quality, mental health and overall well-being among recently recovered, hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Methods This three-arm, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial (RCT) enrolled 90 adults recently discharged following COVID-19 hospitalisation. Participants were randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio into Yoga Nidra, Music Therapy or standard care groups. Both interventions were delivered online via Zoom for 30 min daily over 30 days. Sleep quality, mental health and well-being were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS ® ) Global Health Scale and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) at baseline day 0, day 15 and day 30. All outcomes were treated as exploratory. Results Both the Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy groups demonstrated significant improvements in PSQI, PROMIS and WHO-5 scores at day 15 and day 30 compared with the control group ( p < .001 for all measures). Large effect sizes were observed across outcomes (partial η ² = 0.195–0.795). Yoga Nidra showed greater improvements in overall well-being (WHO-5) and global health (PROMIS ® ), while Music Therapy demonstrated stronger effects on sleep quality (PSQI). No significant changes were observed in the control group. No adverse events were reported. Conclusion In this exploratory RCT, Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy were associated with significant improvements in sleep quality, mental health and overall well-being among post-COVID-19 hospitalised patients compared with standard care alone. These accessible, low-cost therapies may serve as valuable adjuncts to standard care for managing post-COVID psychological distress and sleep disturbances. Larger confirmatory trials are warranted.