Effect of Structured Pranayama Practice on Perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in It Professionals: A Prospective Interventional Study
Shiny Rahul
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) September 4, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22896401 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective interventional study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | IT professionals |
| Intervention | Pranayama |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Measures | Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) |
| Topics | Anxiety Breathwork |
| Key points | Proposes that an 8-week structured Pranayama programme of 20–30 minutes per day, at least five days per week, may be associated with measurable changes in perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep quality among IT professionals, assessed with PSS-10, STAI, and PSQI before and after the intervention. No results are reported in this abstract. |
Abstract
Introduction: In recent times, there is growing critical concern among IT professionals about theirpsychological well-being being affected by stress, anxiety, and poor sleep quality. Although severalpharmacological and clinical approaches are available, there is growing interest in accessible, nonpharmacological approaches that can be adopted into daily life. Mindfulness-based breathingpractices such as Pranayama have traditionally been used to enhance relaxation and mental wellbeing. Such interventions could offer a practical approach for managing stress-related concerns.Pranayama is the systematic regulation of breathing through controlled respiratory practicesinvolving techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, Nadi Shodhana, and Bhramari, which provebeneficial towards developing superior control over breathing and promote relaxation. The studyproposes an 8-week structured Pranayama programme of approximately 20–30 minutes per day, atleast five days per week, with outcomes assessed before and after the intervention. Standardisedand validated measures focusing on three interrelated outcomes for the prospective interventionalstudy, such as perceived stress, anxiety, and subjective sleep quality, are measured using thePerceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Pittsburgh SleepQuality Index (PSQI), respectively. The study aims to evaluate whether IT professionals (n=100)participating in the said Pranayama programme are associated with measurable changes in theirperceived stress, anxiety levels, and sleep quality.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on breathwork, most cited first.