Effects of Yoga Practice on Academic Stress and Sleep Deprivation Among Teenagers

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrhs.net.v14.i6.2

Sweta Kumari

TGT Yoga Teacher

Kendriya Vidyalaya, Noida

Abstract— Academic stress and sleep deprivation have become increasingly prevalent among teenagers due to rising academic expectations, competitive educational environments, excessive screen exposure, and inadequate stress-management strategies. Persistent stress and insufficient sleep negatively influence cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, academic performance, physical health, and overall quality of life. In recent years, yoga has emerged as a promising mind–body intervention capable of improving both psychological well-being and sleep quality through the integration of physical postures, controlled breathing, meditation, and relaxation practices. This paper reviews the existing scientific evidence on the effects of yoga practice on academic stress and sleep deprivation among teenagers by synthesizing findings from peer-reviewed research conducted in educational and healthcare settings. The reviewed literature indicates that regular yoga practice contributes to reductions in perceived stress, anxiety, and emotional distress while enhancing attention, self-regulation, resilience, and sleep quality. Physiological mechanisms such as improved autonomic nervous system balance, reduced cortisol secretion, enhanced parasympathetic activity, and increased mindfulness further explain the beneficial effects of yoga on adolescent mental and physical health. Despite encouraging findings, variations in intervention duration, yoga protocols, sample characteristics, and outcome measures highlight the need for larger randomized controlled trials with standardized methodologies and long-term follow-up. The review concludes that incorporating structured yoga programs into school curricula and adolescent wellness initiatives can serve as an effective, low-cost, and non-pharmacological strategy to mitigate academic stress and sleep deprivation while promoting healthier learning environments and overall adolescent development.

Keywords— Academic stress, Yoga, Sleep deprivation, Teenagers, Adolescents, Mental health, School-based intervention.

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