Efficacy of Relaxation Technique in Normalizing Altered Sleep Architecture in Stressed Information Technology Professionals of Bangalore City

Study objective: The urban life style with rat racing, and high work pressure at working place are stressors for IT individuals, taking toll on sleep. They can counteract negative effect of stress by evoking relaxation response which is the state of deep rest.

Hence, the study is undertaken to investigate efficacy of relaxation technique in normalizing altered sleep architecture in stressed IT individuals

Study design ,Participants & Intervention: The study involved 44 IT Professionals of Bangalore city in the age group of 25-40 years and having stress scores more than 40 and considered stressful as per State trait anxiety inventory.They were subjected to Polysomonography recording in the sleep lab at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore. The subjects underwent training&Practice of relaxation technique for 48 days&subjected to final recording of Polysomonography. Manual scoring of PSG recordings were done as per Kale' Manual, were compiled&statistically analyzed.

Results and Conclusion: Sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, stage 1% were prolonged and sleep efficiency reduced when compared with normative data of American Society of Sleep Medicine for that Age group in recordings obtained before training. Significant improvement was seen in the above said parameters after training and practice of Relaxation technique for 48 days, Stress by increasing activity in locus ceruleus, norepinephrine projections and also by increasing levels of epinephrine and cortisol alter parameters on PSG.

Relaxation technique by calming stress response systems improves quality of sleep.