Effectiveness of Yoga-based guided meditation In Improving the quality of sleep in patients with coronary artery disease: The Yoga Nidra Trial
Gautam Sharma, Praveen Murugesan, Anupama Gupta, Asmita Shukla, Nayani Makkar, Dhanlika Dhanlika, Rohan Shinkre, Akriti Shukla, Varun Chhabra, Alka Arya, Divya Singh, Sidhharthan Deepti, N Naik, Nasreen Akhtar, Achal Kumar Srivastava, Partha Haldar
American Journal of Preventive Cardiology July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2026.101738 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Open-label Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 144 |
| Population | Patients with stable coronary artery disease and poor sleep quality |
| Intervention | Yoga Nidra |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Measures | actigraphy, ambulatory blood pressure, echocardiography, validated psychological and quality-of-life scales |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Sleep system call Coronary artery disease Sleep hygiene Sleep disorder Sleep quality Randomized controlled trial Physical therapy Ambulatory Blood pressure Clinical trial Intervention counseling |
| Key findings | Yoga Nidra improved actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency, total sleep time, sleep latency, and wake after sleep onset, along with perceived stress, depression, and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Background Poor sleep quality has emerged as a risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and is also associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality. Sleep aids, among CAD patients, lead to increased heart failure, hospitalisation, and mortality. Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation, has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. The aim of the study is to evaluate the adjunctive effect of Yoga Nidra on actigraphy-measured sleep quality parameters, psychological outcomes, and health-related quality of life in patients with CAD.
Methods: This is a two-arm,1:1 allocation, randomised, controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoint, single-centre trial conducted in a tertiary care hospital between 22-9-2021 and 30-03-2024.144 out of 678 consecutively screened patients with stable CAD and poor sleep quality met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled. Participants were randomised to either a 35-minute, 12-week Yoga Nidra intervention group (n = 72) or a standard care group (n = 72) with sleep hygiene counselling imparted to all patients.The primary outcome was to assess actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency. Secondary outcomes included assessments of actigraphy-derived sleep parameters, ambulatory blood pressure (BP), echocardiographic diastolic function (E/E′), psychological health, and quality-of-life evaluations using validated scales.
Results: The Yoga Nidra group exhibited significant improvements in sleep efficiency (82% [76-86] vs. 64% [57-74]; p < 0.05), total sleep time (357 ± 99 min vs. 298 ± 83 min; p < 0.05), reduced sleep latency (15 [11-24] vs. 30 [14-70] min; p < 0.05), and lower wake after sleep onset (48 [28-67] vs. 67 [37-119] min; p < 0.05). Significant improvements were also observed in perceived stress, depression levels, and quality of life.
Conclusion: Yoga Nidra is effective in improving sleep quality inpatients with coronary artery disease.Stress, depression, and health-related quality of life also improved with Yoga Nidra.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 21, 2018
- Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience April 24, 2013
- Functional connectivity changes in meditators and novices during yoga nidra practice. Scientific Reports June 5, 2024
- Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Scholarship November 1, 2023
and 10 more in the library