Yoga for Insomnia and Trauma: What the Research Says for Veterans and First Responders  

Sleep trouble is one of the most common things people bring up when we talk about stress, trauma and burnout, and yoga for insomnia is a question I hear often. After 14 years in the RAAF, and years of working with veterans, first responders and everyday people, I know how heavy insomnia or a few bad nights can feel.

Yoga is a practice people often ask me about. This post started as a simple guide to six poses for winding down at night, and those are still here. I’ve now updated it with what the research says, including newer studies in military veterans and first responders, so you can see how yoga might help.

Yoga for insomnia: does it help with sleep?

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 19 randomised trials involving 1,832 women with sleep problems. Overall, the women who did yoga reported better sleep than those in non-active comparison groups [1].

Earlier, smaller studies pointed the same way. In a 2004 pilot study, 20 people with chronic insomnia practised a simple daily yoga routine at home for eight weeks. Their sleep diaries showed improvements. There was no comparison group, though, so we can’t tell how much of the change was due to yoga itself [2]. 

Military and Veterans Research

Most of the stronger research is in US veterans with PTSD.

• Trauma sensitive yoga vs therapy. In a trial of 131 women veterans with PTSD related to military sexual trauma, ten weekly 60-minute sessions of Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga were statistically equivalent to cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for clinician-rated PTSD symptoms. More people finished the yoga program (65% vs 46%) [6].
• Breathing-based yoga vs therapy. In 85 veterans, a breathing-based program called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) was not worse than CPT for PTSD symptoms, including a year later. At the one-year mark, though, depression and mood results favoured CPT [7].
• Weekly yoga vs a wellness program. In 209 adults with PTSD (91% veterans), 16 weeks of yoga reduced PTSD severity more than a wellness program did.
• A wider review. A 2026 rapid review of complementary approaches for veterans with PTSD found moderate-quality evidence for meditation as a broad category. For breathing-based yoga specifically, it described the evidence as promising [9].

First responders Research

For police, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders, the research is much sparser.

• Workplace yoga-based resilience training. In a cluster randomised trial of 80 active-duty first responders, PTSD symptoms were lower in the training group than in a waitlist group straight after the program. Resilience-related skills such as cognitive reappraisal improved more, and stayed improved [10].
• Police trainees. In a trial of 120 police academy trainees, weekly breathing-focused yoga over six months was linked with lower perceived stress and higher resilience scores than the comparison group. Blood pressure changes were very small [11].
• Firefighters. A California quality-improvement evaluation reported better movement quality and body awareness after a 10-class yoga program [12].
• Law enforcement review. A 2026 review of US police wellness research found only two yoga studies. They suggested better mood and lower perceived stress, but mindfulness programs were generally linked with better mental health and less burnout [13].

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6 Yoga forms to help you sleep better

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1. Child’s Pose (Balasana):

Start by kneeling on the floor with your big toes touching. Sit back on your heels and extend your arms in front of you, lowering your chest towards the floor. Rest your forehead on the mat and breathe deeply. This pose helps calm the mind and relax the body. You can use a bolster between your knees or a block under your forehead to make it a little more comfortable. Add a folded blanket under your knees if you experience knee pain.

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2. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Stand with your feet hips width apart and inhale deeply. As you exhale extend your torso forward and over your legs to lengthen your spine, add a soft bend in the knees here if you need it. Hold onto your elbows here or let your hands rest on the ground or on your shins. You can use a blocks to support your hands. Allow gravity to hold you here. This forward bend allows you to release tension through your neck, head, and shoulders whilst stretching through the hamstrings, calf muscles, and hips.

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3. Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani):

Lie on your back and bring your hips near a wall or your bedhead and lift your legs up against it, forming an L-shape. Rest your arms at your sides or on your belly. This pose promotes relaxation and improves blood circulation.

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4. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana):

Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Inhale and reach your arms up, then exhale and fold forward over your legs. Hold onto your feet, ankles, or rest your hands wherever they feel comfortable and relax into the stretch, you can hold onto a yoga strap wrapped under your feet to give you a little assistance. This pose stretches the spine, hamstrings, and calms the nervous system.

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5. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana):

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and drop them to one side while keeping your shoulders grounded. Extend your arms out to the sides. This pose releases tension in the back and promotes relaxation. Pop a bolster between your knees to relieve through the lower back and hips.

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6. Corpse Pose (Savasana):

Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended. Pop a bolster, pillow or folded blankets under your knees to alleviate lower back pain. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Relax every part of your body, releasing tension. This pose helps in deep relaxation and can alleviate stress.

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Final recommendations

Develop daily routines and habits that become automatic.

Slow, deep breathing (pranayama) is often described as helping the body shift towards its “rest and digest” state, the parasympathetic nervous system. Focusing on your breath can also help bring you back to the present moment.

Consistency matters more than perfection. A regular gentle practice, together with good sleep habits and a calming bedtime routine, may support better sleep over time. The research above suggests any benefit is likely to be modest and to vary from person to person, so be patient and kind with yourself.

If you’d like a simple starting point:

• Choose two or three poses and hold each for several slow breaths, or longer if it feels good.
• Create a calming atmosphere. Dim the lights and keep your space quiet.
• Practise at around the same time each evening, so it becomes part of your routine.
• Finish with a few minutes of slow breathing or a guided practice such as yoga nidra. You’re welcome to use my free guided meditations.

When to get extra support

Yoga is not a replacement for professional care. If your sleep problems have lasted for weeks, are affecting your work or mood, or you’re struggling with trauma, PTSD, moral injury or burnout, please see your GP. They can talk through your options with you, which may include working with a psychologist or another health professional.

If you’d like to explore a trauma sensitive approach, you can read more about Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TSY). You can also find out about my nutrition and counselling consultations, which include support for sleep, mood and nervous system regulation.

More on sleep: How Diet Affects Sleep, The Power of Morning Sunlight to Set Your Mind and Body and Caffeine: Benefits, Safe Limits and Sleep.

References

1. 1.  Wang, W.-L., Chen, K.-H., Pan, Y.-C., Yang, S.-N., & Chan, Y.-Y. (2020). The effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women with sleep problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 20, Article 195. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02566-4
2. Khalsa, S. B. S. (2004). Treatment of chronic insomnia with yoga: A preliminary study with sleep–wake diaries. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 29(4), 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-004-0387-0
3. Dutta, A., Mooventhan, A., Nivethitha, L., & Dharani, E. (2026). Efficacy of yoga nidra in managing sleep disorders: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 32(3), 235–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/27683605251390728
4. Singh, S., Dhanlika, D., Singh, U., Haldar, P., & Sharma, G. (2026). Effect of yoga nidra (yogic sleep) in sleep disturbances and insomnia: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep and Breathing, 30(2), Article 144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-026-03685-0
5. Mathersul, D. C., Schulz-Heik, R. J., Avery, T. J., Allende, S., Zeitzer, J. M., & Bayley, P. J. (2023). US veterans show improvements in subjective but not objective sleep following treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Secondary analyses from a randomised controlled trial. Depression and Anxiety, 2023, Article 7001667. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7001667
6. Zaccari, B., Higgins, M., Haywood, T. N., Patel, M., Emerson, D., Hubbard, K., Loftis, J. M., & Kelly, U. A. (2023). Yoga vs cognitive processing therapy for military sexual trauma-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(12), Article e2344862. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.44862
7. Bayley, P. J., Schulz-Heik, R. J., Tang, J. S., Mathersul, D. C., Avery, T., Wong, M., Zeitzer, J. M., Rosen, C. S., Burn, A. S., Hernandez, B., Lazzeroni, L. C., & Seppälä, E. M. (2022). Randomised clinical non-inferiority trial of breathing-based meditation and cognitive processing therapy for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans. BMJ Open, 12(8), Article e056609. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056609
8. Davis, L. W., Schmid, A. A., Daggy, J. K., Yang, Z., O’Connor, C. E., Schalk, N., Do, A. L., Maric, D., Lazarick, D., & Knock, H. (2020). Symptoms improve after a yoga program designed for PTSD in a randomized controlled trial with veterans and civilians. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(8), 904–912. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000564
9. Ashoorion, V., Cooley, K., Scelleur, H. L., Selvadurai, S., & Sud, A. (2026). Complementary and integrative health interventions for PTSD in Veterans and family members: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 12(2), 12–43. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0068
10. Tan, L., Deady, M., Mead, O., Foright, R. M., Brenneman, E. M., Bryant, R. A., & Harvey, S. B. (2025). Yoga resilience training to prevent the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in active-duty first responders: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 17(5), 1108–1116. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001667
11. Koch, S., Esch, T., & Werdecker, L. (2022). Effects of a yoga-based stress intervention program on the blood pressure of young police officers: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 28(3), 234–240. https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2021.0294
12. Floyd, E., Rackelmann, S., McQuaide, S., Hartogensis, W., & Mehling, W. (2022). Yoga for firefighters: Evaluation of a quality improvement program in California fire departments. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 32, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.05.019
13. Eitzen, J., Holden, S., MacElhern, L., & Vieten, C. (2026). Integrative and mind-body approaches to law enforcement professional wellness. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, Article 1900573. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900573
14. Nassif, T. H., Gutierrez, I. A., Smith, C. D., Jha, A. P., & Adler, A. B. (2023). The effect of a combined mindfulness and yoga intervention on soldier mental health in basic combat training: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Depression and Anxiety, 2023, Article 6869543. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6869543
15. Skopp, N. A., Bradshaw, D., Smolenski, D. J., Wilson, N., Williams, T., Bellanti, D., & Hoyt, T. (2025). A pilot study of trauma-sensitive yoga and Breathe2Relax among service members in an intensive outpatient program. Military Psychology, 37(1), 62–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2023.2296333