Abstract

Mental health disorders represent a major global public health concern and are associated with substantial psychological, social, and economic burden. Alongside pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches, there is increasing interest in non-pharmacological, mind–body interventions that are safe, accessible, and cost-effective. Yoga Nidra (YN), often described as yogic or conscious sleep, is a guided meditative practice that induces a state between wakefulness and sleep while maintaining awareness. The present narrative review aims to synthesize available scientific literature examining the role of Yoga Nidra in mental health. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify peer-reviewed articles published over the last two decades that explored Yoga Nidra as an intervention. Narrative reviews, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, mixed-method studies, and pre–post intervention studies were considered for inclusion. The selected literature was analyzed narratively to examine the effects of Yoga Nidra on psychological well-being. The reviewed studies suggest that Yoga Nidra practice is associated with reductions in stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, along with improvements in sleep quality, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. Beneficial effects on cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, and memory have also been reported across different populations, including healthy individuals, students, women with menstrual disorders, and healthcare professionals. Preliminary evidence indicates that Yoga Nidra may influence psychophysiological and neurocognitive processes; however, the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored. Overall, this narrative review highlights Yoga Nidra as a promising, non-invasive complementary approach for supporting mental health and psychological well-being. Nevertheless, methodological heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and limited objective measures emphasize the need for rigorously designed future studies to strengthen the existing evidence base.

Keywords