Effectiveness of a Seven-Week Yoga Programme in Improving Psychological Well-being and Sleep Quality among University Students
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: The university students may have high stress levels and inadequate sleeping patterns because of academic stress, lifestyle imbalance and psychosocial issues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a seven-week yoga programme on psychological well-being, perceived stress and sleep quality in university students. The study design used was a pre-test–post-test experimental design with 40 undergraduate students in the age range of 18–25 years. The measures used were standardized: the Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale (RPWB), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The intervention consisted of a 7-week course of structured yoga sessions with asana, pranayama, meditation and relaxation. Descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test were used to analyse the data on SPSS. The results showed significant improvements in psychological well-being and sleep quality, and a significant decrease in perceived stress. Important findings include that 37 of 40 students (92.5%) reported better sleep quality following the intervention. The results of the study provide evidence for the use of yoga as a non-pharmacological approach for improving mental health and sleep quality in university students.
Author: Bhairu Singh Yadav
Institution: University of Engineering & Management, Jaipur
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204239888