Changes in vigilance, self rated sleep and state anxiety in military personnel in India following yoga

Abstract

Objectives: To study the effects of 9 days of yoga on self-rated sleep, state anxiety and performance in a vigilance test among border security force (BSF) personnel. Seven hundred and twenty-two BSF personnel took part in the trial. They were all males, with an average age of 30.9 ± 7.4 years. All of them were involved in guarding the country's border. They were deputed for 9 days residential training in yoga. Before and after training they were assessed for self-rated sleep, state anxiety and vigilance. Results: The results suggest the benefits of yoga in BSF personnel. The BSF personnel showed a significant increase in scores in the vigilance test, a decrease in state anxiety, and improved self-rated sleep.