Military occupations require heightened vigilance with resultant sleep disturbances, increased anxiety and reduced vigilance.
OBJECTIVE:
To compare yoga with physical training to reduce insomnia, anxiety and increase vigilance in security personnel.
METHODS:
One hundred and twelve Border Security Force personnel (BSF group, males; mean age±SD = 30.4±7.4 years) were compared with 112 personnel of a private security firm (SIS group). The BSF group received yoga for nine days and the SIS group received physical training for the same period. Assessments were at baseline and after 9 days, with the digit vigilance test (DVT), Spielberger’s STAI-S, and a sleep rating questionnaire.
RESULTS:
(1) Between groups: (i) at baseline the BSF group had higher vigilance and more daytime naps compared to the SIS group and (ii) after nine days the SIS group had higher state anxiety compared to the BSF group (ANOVA, Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc comparisons; SPSS Version 24.0) (2) In post-pre intervention comparisons (i) the BSF group increased vigilance and decreased state anxiety after yoga, with improved sleep, while (ii) the SIS group showed increased vigilance after physical training.
CONCLUSION:
Yoga may improve sleep, reduce anxiety while increasing vigilance in occupations requiring vigilance.
LoveringME, ProctorSP, HeatonKJ. A retrospective study of anxiety disorder diagnoses in the military from 2000 to 2009. J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(1):25–32.
2.
RedmondSA, WilcoxSL, CampbellS, KimA, FinneyK, BarrK, HassanAM. A brief introduction to the military workplace culture. Work. 2015;50(1):9–20.
3.
LiebermanHR, BathalonGP, FalcoCM, KramerFM, MorganCA, NiroP. Severe decrements in cognition function and mood induced by sleep loss, heat, dehydration, and undernutrition during simulated combat. Biol Psychiatry. 2005;57(4):422–29.
4.
TellesS, VermaS, SharmaSK, GuptaRK, BalkrishnaA. Alternate-nostril yoga breathing reduced blood pressure while increasing performance in a vigilance test. Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2017;23:392–98.
5.
SubramanyaP, TellesS. Performance in the Stroop task and simultaneously recorded heart rate variability before and after meditation, supine rest and no-intervention. Int J Brain Cogn Sci. 2015;4(1):8–14.
6.
BeckAT, EmeryG. Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Cambridge MA: Basic Books; 2005.
7.
ChouHW, TzengWC, ChouYC, YehHW, ChangHA, KaoYC, HuangSY, YehCB, ChiangWS, TzengNS. Stress, sleep and depressive symptoms in active duty military personnel. Am J Med Sci. 2016;352(2):146–53.
8.
MysliwiecV, McGrawL, PierceR, SmithP, TrappB, RothBJ. Sleep disorders and associated medical comorbidities in active duty military personnel. Sleep. 2013;36(2):167–74.
9.
HarrisonE, GlickmanGL, BeckerleyS, TaylorMK. Self-reported sleep during U.S. navy operations and the impact of deployment-related factors. Mil Med. 2017;182(S1):189–94.
10.
Ministry of Law (Legislative Department), Government of India. The Border Security Force Act, 1968. 1968 [cited 2018 Mar 17]. Available from: http://bsf.nic.in/doc/bsfActRules.pdf.
SharmaS. Occupational stress in the armed forces: An Indian army perspective. IIMB Manag Rev. 2015;27(3):185–95.
15.
TellesS, GuptaRK, BhardwajAK, SinghN, MishraP, PalDK, BalkrishnaA. Increased mental well-being and reduced state anxiety in teachers after participation in a residential yoga program. Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2018;24:105–12.
16.
TellesS, SinghN, YadavA, BalkrishnaA. Effect of yoga on different aspects of mental health. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012;56(3):245–54.
17.
KhalsaSB. Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: A preliminary study with sleep– wake diaries. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004;29(4):269–78.
18.
GuptaN, KheraS, VempatiRP, SharmaR, BijlaniRL. Effect of yoga based lifestyle intervention on state and trait anxiety. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006;50(1):41.
19.
TellesS, BhardwajAK, KumarS, KumarN, BalkrishnaA. Performance in a substitution task and state anxiety following yoga in army recruits. Psychol Re. 2012;110(3):963–76.
20.
KellandDZ, LewisRF. The digit vigilance test: Reliability, validity, and sensitivity to diazepam. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 1996;11(4):339–44.
21.
SeokCB, HamidHA, MutangJ, IsmailR, Psychometric properties of the state-trait anxiety inventory (form Y) among Malaysian university students. Sustainability. 2018;10(9):3311.
22.
DiasR, BaliarsingL, BArnwalBK, MogalS, GujjarP. Role of pre-operative multimedia video information in allaying anxiety related to spinal anaesthesia: A randomised controlled trial. Indian J Anaesth. 2016;60(11):843.
23.
ManjunathNK, TellesS. Influence of Yoga & Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population. Indian J Med Res. 2005;121(5):683.
24.
RamacharakaY, AtkinsonWW. Hatha Yoga: or, the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numerous exercises. Martino Fine Books; 2017.
25.
TuchaL, TuchaO, WalitzaS, SontagTA, LaufkötterR, LinderM, LangeKW. Vigilance and sustained attention in children and adults with ADHD. J Atten Disord. 2009;12(5):410–21.
26.
McGintyD, SzymusiakR. Brain structures and mechanisms involved in the generation of nrem sleep: Focus on the preoptic hypothalamus. Sleep Med Rev. 2001;5(4):323–42.
27.
BonnetM, ArandD. Sleepiness as measured by MSLT varies as a function of preceding activity. Slee. 1998;21(5):477–83.
28.
DamTT, EwingS, Ancoli-IsraelS, EnsrudK, RedlineS, StoneK. Association between sleep and physical function in older men: The osteoporotic fractures in men sleep study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56(9):1665–73.
29.
SoniR, MunishK, SinghK, SinghS. Study of the effect of yoga training on diffusion capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A controlled trial. Int J Yoga. 2012;5(2):123–7.
30.
HimashreeG, MohanL, SinghY. Yoga practice improves physiological and biochemical status at high altitudes: A prospective case-control study. Altern Therapies. 2016;22(5):56–61.
31.
TellesS, GuptaRK, YadavA, PathakS, BalkrishnaA. Hemisphere specific EEG related to alternate nostril yoga breathing. BMC Res Notes. 2017;10(1):306.
StreeterCC, WhitfieldTH, OwenL, ReinT, KarriSK, YakhkindA, PerlmutterR, PrescotA, RenshawPF, CirauloDA, JensenJE. Effects of yoga versus walking on mood, anxiety, and brain GABA levels: A randomized controlled MRS study. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(11):1145–52.
34.
NeuendorfR, WahbehH, ChamineI, YuJ, HutchisonK, OkenBS. The effects of mind-body interventions on sleep quality: A systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015: 902708.
35.
TolahunaseMR, SagarR, FaiqM, DadaR. Yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle intervention increases neuroplasticity and reduces severity of major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2018;36(3):423–42.
36.
NaghiiMR, AlmadadiM, ZarchiAA. Regular physical activity as a basic component of lifestyle modification reduces major cardiovascular risk factors among male armored force personnel of Shabestar army installation in Iran. Work. 2011;40(2):217–27.
37.
KirkwoodG, RampesH, TuffreyV, RichardsonJ, PilkingtonK. Yoga for anxiety: A systematic review of the research evidence. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39(12):884–91.
38.
JoshiA, KiranR, SinglaHK, SahAN. Stress management through regulation of blood pressure among college students. Work. 2016;54(3):745–52.
