Effects of Yoga on Quality of Sleep of Women With Premenstrual Syndrome

Leila Alibaf, MSc; Ghafoureh Ghaffarilaleh, MSc; Vahid Ghaffarilaleh, PhD; Mahin Kamalifard, MSc; Zeinab Sanamno, MSc

Objective • Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) commonly complain of sleep disturbances, specifically in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the effects of yoga on quality of sleep of women experiencing PMS was investigated. Material and Methods • Women (aged 20-45 y) monitored for PMS, who were referred to the private obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Tabriz, Iran, were referred to the private obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Tabriz, Iran. Afterward, 62 women, were selected and divided into 2 groups, randomly: 31 subjects in yoga the yoga group and 31 in the control group. Subjects in yoga performed for 10 wk in 3 sessions, with each session lasting 60 min. Subjects in the control group did not perform any yoga. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index questionnaire before and after yoga in both groups. Results • After yoga intervention, subjects significantly expressed improvement in sleeping (P < .05). Based on the Mann-Whitney U test, a significant difference was observed in the subdomains of both groups on quality of sleep (P < .01), sleep latency (P < .01), and sleep efficiency (P < .05). Conclusion • Yoga reduced the disturbances of sleep in the subjects with PMS, which subsequently improved the efficiency of their sleep. Therefore, we conclude that yoga can be prescribed for improving sleep disturbances in women with PMS and medical therapy will probably be needed in severe situations.

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