How do benefits of doing yoga in the morning differ from that in the evening

Morning yoga enhances sleep quality and well-being more than evening sessions, according to a randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers of NIMHANS-Bengaluru, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA), and Central University of Rajasthan.

Practising yoga in the early hours of the day may offer greater benefits for sleep, mental health and lifestyle habits among young adults than evening sessions, according to a recent randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers of NIMHANS-Bengaluru, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA), and Central University of Rajasthan.

The study, published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, examined how the timing of yoga practice influences quality of life, sleep patterns, psychological health and lifestyle behaviour. While yoga is widely recognised as a holistic intervention, the role of practice timing in alignment with the body’s circadian rhythm has remained relatively underexplored.

The trial was conducted among post-graduate students in Bengaluru between May 2022 and March 2023. A total of 156 participants were divided into three groups: a morning yoga group (6 am to 7 am), an evening yoga group (6 pm to 7 pm), and a control group. Of these, 82 participants completed the four-week intervention, which involved guided online yoga sessions for one hour a day, five days a week.

Both morning and evening yoga groups showed clear improvements over the control group across several measures, including quality of life, psychological health, sleep quality and certain lifestyle behaviour. However, the morning yoga group demonstrated additional benefits in specific areas.

“Morning yoga showed clear advantages in reducing sleep disturbances, and improving overall energy levels,” said Hemant Bhargav,  from the Department of Integrative Medicine at NIMHANS, who is the corresponding author of the study. “We also observed a shift towards healthier lifestyle choices, including reduced junk food intake, even without direct behavioural counselling,” he told The Hindu.

Participants who practised yoga in the morning reported a greater reduction in sleep disturbances and a shift towards ‘morningness’ — a preference for early-day activity aligned with natural biological rhythms. They also showed an increase in traits associated with positive mental health, clarity and balance, along with improved restfulness.