Location
Philadelphia, PA
Start Date
3-5-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
3-5-2023 4:00 PM
Description
Introduction: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a sequence of four breathing techniques used to calm the body and mind. Each breath component plays a role in producing a state of peace and is followed by rest and meditation to enhance one’s focus and feeling of connectedness. Recently, SKY has been evaluated as a possible adjunct treatment for some mental health disorders and for its role in promoting lifestyle changes, with a number of studies attempting to identify the impact of SKY techniques on sleep. In this study, we sought to assess the current literature regarding the effectiveness of SKY and its effects on sleep and sleep quality.
Methods: The review procedure followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Articles of interest were identified using PubMed, Cochrane Review, and expert recommendation. The search terms used were SKY, Sudarshan Kriya, sleep, breathing, and meditation. A total of 760 articles were initially identified in PubMed, no articles were identified in the Cochrane Library, and 1 was identified through expert recommendation. Of these, 720 were eliminated through article title review. The remaining 41 publications underwent independent review by each author. Inclusion criteria required that the article use SKY as an intervention with sleep as a measured outcome. Articles that assessed populations with diagnosed psychiatric disorders were excluded. Following independent review, 9 articles were agreed upon by all authors for inclusion, data extraction, and analysis.
Results: Among the 9 publications analyzed, 3 were prospective cohort studies, 2 were randomized controlled trials, 2 were open trial single-armed pre-post studies, and 2 were cross-sectional studies. Sleep was assessed by 4 studies using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 1 using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), 3 using their own study-specific survey, and 1 using polysomnography. Prospective cohort studies found that SKY improved sleep quality when compared to baseline sleep assessments (p=0.0001) and when practice of SKY was more frequent (p=0.001). Pre-post studies also concluded that SKY enhanced sleep quality when compared to baseline sleep assessments (p<0.001). A study using polysomnography found that middle-aged SKY practitioners had significantly decreased REM latency and increased slow-wave sleep (p<0.05) compared to an age-matched control group. Randomized controlled trials demonstrated decreased sleep disturbance in SKY groups, which were non-significant after Bonferroni correction. Cross-sectional studies determined that daily SKY was protective of poor sleep quality (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28-0.94) and was associated with greater odds of having a healthier lifestyle (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.50-4.46), which included adequate sleep as a factor.
Discussion: Current studies suggest SKY may provide benefits to those with inadequate sleep by decreasing sleep disturbance, improving sleep duration, and increasing slow-wave sleep while decreasing time to REM onset. Further investigation with randomized controlled trials utilizing research-driven questionnaires may strengthen the current evidence of sleep improvement following SKY.
Embargo Period
6-28-2023
Included in
Effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on sleep: a systematic review
Philadelphia, PA
Introduction: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a sequence of four breathing techniques used to calm the body and mind. Each breath component plays a role in producing a state of peace and is followed by rest and meditation to enhance one’s focus and feeling of connectedness. Recently, SKY has been evaluated as a possible adjunct treatment for some mental health disorders and for its role in promoting lifestyle changes, with a number of studies attempting to identify the impact of SKY techniques on sleep. In this study, we sought to assess the current literature regarding the effectiveness of SKY and its effects on sleep and sleep quality.
Methods: The review procedure followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Articles of interest were identified using PubMed, Cochrane Review, and expert recommendation. The search terms used were SKY, Sudarshan Kriya, sleep, breathing, and meditation. A total of 760 articles were initially identified in PubMed, no articles were identified in the Cochrane Library, and 1 was identified through expert recommendation. Of these, 720 were eliminated through article title review. The remaining 41 publications underwent independent review by each author. Inclusion criteria required that the article use SKY as an intervention with sleep as a measured outcome. Articles that assessed populations with diagnosed psychiatric disorders were excluded. Following independent review, 9 articles were agreed upon by all authors for inclusion, data extraction, and analysis.
Results: Among the 9 publications analyzed, 3 were prospective cohort studies, 2 were randomized controlled trials, 2 were open trial single-armed pre-post studies, and 2 were cross-sectional studies. Sleep was assessed by 4 studies using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 1 using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), 3 using their own study-specific survey, and 1 using polysomnography. Prospective cohort studies found that SKY improved sleep quality when compared to baseline sleep assessments (p=0.0001) and when practice of SKY was more frequent (p=0.001). Pre-post studies also concluded that SKY enhanced sleep quality when compared to baseline sleep assessments (p<0.001). A study using polysomnography found that middle-aged SKY practitioners had significantly decreased REM latency and increased slow-wave sleep (p<0.05) compared to an age-matched control group. Randomized controlled trials demonstrated decreased sleep disturbance in SKY groups, which were non-significant after Bonferroni correction. Cross-sectional studies determined that daily SKY was protective of poor sleep quality (OR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28-0.94) and was associated with greater odds of having a healthier lifestyle (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.50-4.46), which included adequate sleep as a factor.
Discussion: Current studies suggest SKY may provide benefits to those with inadequate sleep by decreasing sleep disturbance, improving sleep duration, and increasing slow-wave sleep while decreasing time to REM onset. Further investigation with randomized controlled trials utilizing research-driven questionnaires may strengthen the current evidence of sleep improvement following SKY.