Abstract

Background and Objective: Heart failure is a clinical syndrome with imminent death in patients and creating stress and anxiety and affected patients could not go to appropriate sleep. In this respect, yoga exercises improve flexibility, muscular power, blood circulation and oxygen absorption and hormone system operation and it causes health feeling. The purpose of this research was determination of effect of yoga exercises on anxiety and sleep quality of patients with chronic heart failure. Materials and Methods: This study was a clinical experiment on 60 patients (2015) Divided into two groups of test (30 persons) and control (30 persons). The session of learning and yoga exercises in test group were held two times a week for one hour during two months in heart rehabilitation center in Kerman city under yoga specialist by supervision and approval of a physiologist and a heart specialist. To collect data, Pittsburg sleep quality and Beck anxiety questionnaires were used. Finally, the mean central index was obtained for descriptive statistics and data analysis was done using t test and SPSS software. Results: The findings showed that the mean score of sleep quality and anxiety in test group before intervention was 2.63 and 2.67 and after intervention was 0.79 and 0.87, respectively, that significantly decreased (p<0.001). In addition, average score of sleep quality and anxiety in control group before intervention was 2.43 and 2.37 and after intervention was 2.38 and 2.07, respectively. Also, there was not a significant difference between average score of sleep quality and anxiety in test and control groups before the study. There was also no significant difference between average score of mental quality, sleep delay, sleep disorders before and after yoga exercises in cases with chronic heart failure. But there was a significant difference between average of sleep efficiency, period of sleep, usage of soporific and imperfect operation before and after yoga exercises in in cases with chronic heart failure. Conclusion: The results showed that yoga can be used for empowerment of patients with heart failure in order for heart operation reinforcement and protection of heart abilities. This causes improvement of attitude even with heart failure and improvement of the life style. Finally, it is suggested that these patients take balanced condition after doing this exercise and it is needed for a better life and improvement of heart operation