Promoting mental and sleep health in menopausal women: the effectiveness of yoga and brain gymnastics interventions

Menopausal women frequently experience anxiety and sleep disturbances, which negatively impact their mental well-being and overall quality of life. Non-pharmacological approaches such as yoga and brain gymnastics offer accessible, safe, and low-cost strategies to address these issues. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of yoga and brain gymnastics in promoting mental and sleep health among menopausal women. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was conducted involving 100 menopausal women, divided into yoga and brain gymnastics intervention groups. Yoga sessions were held three times a week for 60 minutes over four weeks, while brain gymnastics was conducted for 15–20 minutes at the same frequency. Anxiety and sleep quality were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests. Both interventions significantly reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality (p<0.05). Yoga showed a greater reduction in STAI (35%) and PSQI (40%) scores compared to brain gymnastics (22% and 25%, respectively). Comparative analysis indicated yoga was significantly more effective (p<0.05). Yoga and brain gymnastics effectively promote mental and sleep health in menopausal women, with yoga demonstrating superior benefits as a holistic intervention.