Effect of Simha Pranayama and Bhramari Pranayama Relaxation Technique on Sleep and Quality of Life

Comparative Effects of Simha Pranayama (Lion's Breath) and Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath) Yogic Relaxation Techniques on Sleep and Quality of Life Among Healthy Adults

Day end work related mental and muscular tension is quite common among young healthy individuals. This tension dramatically disturb sleeping pattern which also effects QoL. For this, two breathing relaxation yoga techniques namely Simha Pranayama and Bhramari Pranayama have been compared.

The study aims to compare the effects of Simha Pranayama and Bhramari Pranayama on sleep and QoL among healthy adult individuals.

It was a randomized clinical trial. Sample size of 68 was calculated by keeping 95% confidence interval and 0.05 margin of error. Subjects were selected through convenient sampling technique and then allocated by simple randomization process through sealed opaque envelope into Group A (Simha Pranayama) or Group B (Bhramari Pranayama). Subjects perform yoga techniques for 1 month. A booklet and recorded video was provided to read and follow the steps. Pre-treatment assessment was done before start of yoga therapy. Post treatment evaluation was done by assessing sleep through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire and QoL via SF-36 Questionnaire.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Sleep
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Simha pranayama; Other: Bhramari Pranayama

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 68
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
      • Lahore city

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Both male and female active working class

Exclusion Criteria:

acute asthmatic attack in last one month cough active hemoptysis cardiac instability

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Simha Pranayama Relaxation Technique; 34 healthy adults will perform Simha Pranayama and their sleep and quality of life will be accessed	Other: Simha pranayama; Find a Comfortable Seat: Kneel on the floor and sit back on your heels (Vajrasana). Alternatively, you can sit cross-legged.; Ground Your Hands: Rest your palms on your knees. Spread your fingers wide, splaying them like a lion's claws, and press them firmly down.; Engage the Posture: Lean your torso slightly forward. Keep your back straight, lengthen your spine, and open your chest.; Prepare to Breathe: Take a deep, steady inhalation through your nose.
Active Comparator: Bhramari Pranayama Relaxation technique; 34 healthy adults will perform Bhramari Pranayama and their sleep and quality of life will be accessed	Other: Bhramari Pranayama; Find a comfortable seat: Sit cross-legged on the floor or straight on a chair with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed.; Form Shanmukhi Mudra (Face Lock): Bring your hands to your face to block your external senses.; Inhale deeply: Take a long, slow breath in through both nostrils, filling your lungs completely.; Exhale with a hum: As you exhale slowly through your nose, keep your mouth closed and make a steady, smooth humming sound (like "Mmmmmm...").

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical function	Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. The questionnaire assesses health-related quality of life across eight domains. Each domain is transformed to a 0-100 scale, where 0 represents the worst possible health status and 100 represents the best possible health status. Higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.	End of 4 weeks
Sleep	The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a standardized self-report questionnaire developed to assess subjective sleep quality. It consists of 19 self-rated items, which are combined into 7 component scores. Outcome Measure: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index . It is a validated self-administered questionnaire that assesses subjective sleep quality over the preceding month. It comprises 19 self-rated items grouped into seven components, each scored from 0 to 3. The component scores are summed to obtain a global score ranging from 0 to 21, where 0 represents the best sleep quality and 21 represents the poorest sleep quality. A global score greater than 5 is indicative of poor sleep quality and clinically significant sleep disturbance.	End of 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mohtishim Ahmed
• Collaborators: Green International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Mohtishim Ahmed, MSPT, DPT, Green International University, Lahore

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of Life; Sleep; Relaxation Technique; Bhramari Pranayama; Simha Pranayama; Lion's Breath; Humming Bee Breath
• Other Study ID Numbers: GIU/REC/26-61

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No