Yoga improves quality of sleep, says NIMHANS study.

March 30, 2006

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=NATION & file_name=nt6%2Etxt & counter_img=6 Yoga improves quality of sleep: Study Yoga Rangatia/ New Delhi A first-of-its-kind sleep lab now has empirical evidence that those who practice yoga and meditation improve their quality of sleep. Brain research also shows yoga improving quality of life for severe cases of epilepsy patients. "There is an

increase in high amplitude wave in sleep of people who practice yoga and sudarshan kriya. The natural sleep pattern of middle-aged person actually reverses age-related sleep degradation," said Dr TR Raju, head of neurophysiology at Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). The yet-to-be published study found that EEG of yoga practitioners not only reverses age-related degeneration of sleep but display a sleep pattern seen in younger people. This is first scientific evidence on the effect of yoga and pranayam on the physiology of the brain. "The EEG activity in the higher frequency range like beta or gamma wave is associated with behavioural conditions when animal is alert and focusing its attention on a

target. In sleep architecture, they have demonstrated enhanced quality of sleep, enhanced slow wave sleep (referred to as S3 and S4) and enhanced Rapid Eye Movement sleep (called REM)," the study showed. Better sleep is associated with memory consolidation and enhanced neuronal circuits which are usually dormant when one is awake. Yoga is also coming to the rescue of severe cases of epilepsy, where even drugs are proving to be less useful. "About 15 per cent of epileptic patients are unmanageable by any methods of treatment. To this group, yoga has been found to be very effectve," Dr TN Sathyaprabha at the department of Neurophysiology, NIMHANS, said. The team studied cardiovascular autonomic functions in epileptic patients who underwent eight

weeks yoga therapy. The results were very encouraging: 68 per cent patients had significant improvement of their autonomic functions (including heart rate and blood pressure) compared with pre-yoga stage. "Their quality of life was also significantly better. Many of them said they were now less nervous to go out of their homes and were able to socialise without the lurking fear of seizures," Dr Satyaprabha said. Stress is one of the important precipitating factor causing autonomic dysfunction and influence increased frequency in seizures. Hence, stress management may be an important factor in reducing seizure frequency and management of chronic epilepsy. A lot is yet to be understood about the role of traditional practices like yoga and

pranayam play in stress relief, improving memory and better physiology, but the study re-affirms the science behind these ancian Indian wisdom. http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=NATION & file_name=nt6%2Etxt & counter_img=6 "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Messenger with Voice.