IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF SLEEP SPECIAL TECHNIQUE ON THE AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS OF PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION- A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Background: Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a chronic medical condition. It is characterized by persistently elevated arterial blood pressure. Various guidelines define the diagnostic criteria, and a blood pressure reading above 140/90 mmHg persistently is the diagnostic threshold. This is one of the leading causes of premature medications, deaths or disabilities. Hypertension is currently an epidemic, affecting approximately 1.3 billion adults. If left untreated, it can progress to end-organ damage. The standard medications help in the symptomatic management, leading to a reduction in blood pressure, but do not help in removing the root cause of the condition and thus ignore the autonomic imbalance. The Sleep Special Technique is an advanced relaxation technique which helps in relaxing the mind and body, and thus helps the person reduce the sympathetic load and fix the autonomic balance. The immediate effects of SST on the autonomic functions of hypertensive patients are still unknown.

Aim: This study aimed to find the changes of autonomic functions in hypertensive patients immediately after practicing the Sleep Special Technique, thus establishing the efficacy of the SST.

Methods & Materials: The sample size of the study is 30 participants who were diagnosed with hypertension, on stable anti-hypertensives and within the 30-60 years of age.

Design: It was a pre-post pilot interventional study with a single-group design.

Assessments: The assessments were Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters (RMSSD, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio), Heart rate and Blood Pressure.

Intervention: Intervention was SST. A simple 30-minute protocol that included brisk walking, nadi-shuddhi pranayama, A-kara chanting, awareness, reverse DRT and OM-kara chanting.

Results: A single session of the sleep special technique immediately caused a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001 for both) and augmented mean R-R interval values (p = 0.028). Minimal significant changes were found in other heart rate variability indices (RMSSD, SD1, SD2, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio, or mean heart rate). This suggests a favourable acute impact on cardiovascular regulation, though systemic autonomic alterations were limited.

Conclusion: Single-session Sleep Special Technique (SST) significantly reduces blood pressure and improves RR intervals in hypertensive patients, suggesting acute cardiovascular benefits. However, lack of change in other HRV indices implies that sustained autonomic modulation likely requires longer- term practice, positioning SST as a promising adjunctive non-pharmacological therapy.

Key words: Hypertension; Sleep Special Technique; Heart Rate Variability; Autonomic Function; Yoga Intervention; Blood Pressure Regulation