Yoga Nidra Versus Music Therapy for Sleep and Mental Well-being in Post-COVID-19 Hospitalised Patients: A Three-arm Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disturbances, particularly among recently hospitalised patients. Non-pharmacological interventions such as Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy offer cost-effective and accessible alternatives for improving psychological well-being and sleep quality in this population. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy on sleep quality, mental health and overall well-being among recently recovered, hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Methods: This three-arm, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial (RCT) enrolled 90 adults recently discharged following COVID-19 hospitalisation. Participants were randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio into Yoga Nidra, Music Therapy or standard care groups. Both interventions were delivered online via Zoom for 30 min daily over 30 days. Sleep quality, mental health and well-being were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS Results: Both the Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy groups demonstrated significant improvements in PSQI, PROMIS and WHO-5 scores at day 15 and day 30 compared with the control group ( Conclusion: In this exploratory RCT, Yoga Nidra and Music Therapy were associated with significant improvements in sleep quality, mental health and overall well-being among post-COVID-19 hospitalised patients compared with standard care alone. These accessible, low-cost therapies may serve as valuable adjuncts to standard care for managing post-COVID psychological distress and sleep disturbances. Larger confirmatory trials are warranted.