Impact of long term Yoga practice on sleep quality and quality of life in the elderly

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances and decline in the physical functionality are common conditions associated with aging. Pharmacological treatment of sleep disturbances can be associated with various adverse effects. Short term trials of Yoga on sleep have shown beneficial effects. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of long-term Yoga exercises on sleep quality and quality of life (QOL) in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which data were collected from elderly people aged 60 years or more living in Nagpur city. We employed two types of survey questionnaires: Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and QOL Leiden-Padua (LEIPAD) Questionnaire. A total of 65 elderly men and women who signed an informed consent and completed questionnaires were included in the study. Sleep quality score PSQI and QOL (LEIPAD Questionnaire) score of the study group were evaluated and compared with the control group using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Total PSQI score in Yoga group was lower than that of the control group. Also various QOL scores of the Yoga groups were higher than the control group. CONCLUSION: Addition of regular Yoga exercises in the daily routine of elderly people can help to achieve good sleep quality as well as improve the QOL.