Effectiveness of Yoga Nidra on Psychological Distress and Sleep Quality of Working Professionals in Thailand: A Mixed Method Study

The research study focused on the impact of yoga nidra techniques on psychological distress and sleep quality of Thai professionals. It employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. The participants for the study were 52 working professionals in Thailand, who were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 26) and a waitlist control group (n = 26), through simple random allocation. The experiment comprised guided yoga nidra sessions provided to participants in 30-minute slots, held four days each week for a total of two weeks. Participants' quantitative data underwent initial collection through the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) measures evaluated before and after the intervention, followed by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 purposively sampled members from the experimental group. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results, controlling for baseline differences, indicated marked enhancements within the experimental group. Participants showed a significant decrease in depression, F(1, 49) = 25.42, p < .001, η²p = .342; in anxiety, F(1, 49) = 18.74, p < .001, η²p = .277; and in stress, F(1, 49) = 12.86, p = .001, η²p = .208. The control group showed no significant changes, with scores remaining stable on all measures. In the experimental group, sleep quality improved significantly, F(1, 49) = 8.93, p = .004, η²p = .154. The qualitative inquiry yielded four consistent positive themes: enhanced focus and attention, improved sleep quality, diminished perceived stress, and pronounced advantages in the domain of relaxation. Among the barriers to effective implementation, participants cited diminished focus, competing time demands, and unforeseen technical difficulties. Yoga nidra warrants consideration as a supplemental component of workplace wellness initiatives for Thai professionals.