Yoga Nidra has drawn a lot of attention, so much so that it is being researched at many notable universities and medical centers. Studies have found that it relieves stress, reduces anxiety, lowers heart rate and has a variety of positive effects on our mind, emotions, and body. Below are links to some of the studies:

MRI images of brain activity during yoga nidra:
“The measurements of the brain’s activity (EEG) indicated that the subjects were in a deeply relaxed state, similar to that of sleep, during the whole Yoga Nidra. The theta activity rose significantly (11%p) on all the twenty-one electrodes. The reduction of the alpha activity (2% NS) was insignificant, showing that this meditative state is altogether different from that of the sleeping state and comprises conscious awareness. Furthermore, the state was constant and evenly distributed over the entire brain for the forty-five minutes the relaxation lasted.”
Read the full article here:  https://www.yogameditation.com/reading-room/pictures-of-the-brains-activity-during-yoga-nidra/

Effect of Yoga-nidra on Adolescents Well-being: A Mixed Method Study
“Yoga-nidra intervention resulted in significant improvement in all primary outcome measures. Participants reported significant improvement in the feelings of happiness, enthusiasm, quietude, being more inspired and alert, active, having clarity of thought, control over anger, and self-confidence at the end of the study period. Mixed method design of the study provided cross-validation and convergence of results obtained from quantitative and qualitative assessment tools.”
Read the full PubMed post here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134739/ 

Yoga Nidra relaxation increases heart rate variability and is unaffected by a prior bout of Hatha yoga. 
“These changes demonstrate a favorable shift in autonomic balance to the parasympathetic branch of the ANS for both conditions, and that Yoga Nidra relaxation produces favorable changes in measures of HRV whether alone or preceded by a bout of Hatha yoga.”
Read the full PubMed post here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22866996 

Impact of Integrative Restoration (iRest) Meditation on Perceived Stress Levels in Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer Outpatients
As displayed in Table I, participants reported signifi- cantly lower levels of perceived stress at the completion of the 6-week programme [F (1, 14) = 21.48, p < 0.001]. However, there was no effect of sample (cancer versus MS) [F (1, 14) = 0.86] nor any interaction between time and sample [F (1, 14) = 1.22].
Read the full study here: https://www.irest.org/sites/default/files/Boise_Study.pdf 

Effects of Integrative Restoration (iRest®) on Sleep, Perceived Stress and Resilience in Military Medical Center Healthcare Providers: A Pilot Study
As displayed in Table I, participants reported significantly lower levels of perceived stress at the completion of the 6-week programme [F (1, 14) = 21.48, p < 0.001]. However, there was no effect of sample (cancer versus MS) [F (1, 14) = 0.86] nor any interaction between time and sample [F (1, 14) = 1.22].
Read the full study here: https://www.irest.org/sites/default/files/CCF_Poster_BAMC_Study.pdf 

Yoga Nidra as a complementary treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorder
The patients with mild to moderate anxiety and depressive symptoms improve significantly with ‘Yoga Nidra’ intervention. There is no improvement in the patients with severe anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, small sample size and selection of subjects from hospital outpatient clinic are the limitations of this study. Overall this study shows that the Yoga Nidra is an effective tool for improvement of psychological problems emerged out of long standing menstrual problems.
Read the full PubMed post here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276934/

Transforming Trauma: A Qualitative Feasibility Study of Integrative Restoration (iRest) Yoga Nidra on Combat- Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The complexities of PTSD in different individuals with unique histories of personal and collective trauma are unlikely to be completely addressed by any single therapy.
Partnering with a facility that already serves combat veterans and their families, and which offers supplementary counsel- ing resources to participants, is an important way to support recruitment and participation and enhance the outcomes of mind-body interventions with this population.
In this study, iRest was most beneficial to veterans who engaged it fully and practiced regularly. Yet even those who struggled to complete the protocol due to chronic rage, anxiety, or avoidance of painful memories were able to uti- lize its structure and flexibility to meditate in a way that brought about subjectively significant PTSD symptom re- lief. More research is needed to evaluate the best ways to adapt or deliver iRest to support self-mastery and healing among combat veterans, as well as other populations suffer- ing from trauma.
Read the full study here: https://www.irest.org/sites/default/files/Transforming-Trauma-IAYT-Stankovic.pdf 

The Impact of Yoga Nidra and Seated Meditation on the Mental Health of College Professors
“Prepost results indicate that both interventions represent an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety and stress levels. However, there was a tendency toward a greater effectiveness of the Yoga Nidra intervention regarding anxiety, which might represent an effective tool in reducing both cognitive and physiological symptoms of anxiety.”
Read the full PubMed post here. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134749/ 

PA01.68. The effect of yoga nidra in the management of rheumatoid arthritis
“Result: The practice of Yoga nidra showed significant clinical relief in pain, tenderness, stiffness and swelling of the joint in all patients taken under trial. Those patients reported feeling of well being lightness in the body, improvement in mental tension, muscular tension & emotional tension. The overall result in our cases were categorised and in final analysis 40% cases got relieved, 10% case got improvement (+) 20% case got improve (++) another 20% got improving (+++) and 10% case remained incompletely assessed.
Conclusion: The practice of Yoganidra on daily basis may be analgesics and anti-inflammatory affect to control pain. Thus the practice of Yoganidra can be used successfully in the management of Rheumatoid arthritis.”
Read the full PubMed post here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3800872/ 

Yoga Nidra Efficacy for addiction and trauma: a preliminary research study
“The results suggest that the YNSAS is an effective tool to measure participants’ self-perception about their internal changes after each yoga nidra practice experience. Data analysis of this preliminary study indicates Yoga Nidra appears to have efficacy for participants in addiction recovery. The results are statistically significant, warranting further research with a randomized subjects and a control group to further explore the efficacy of yoga nidra practice.”
Read the full article here: https://medium.com/thrive-global/yoga-nidra-efficacy-for-addiction-and-trauma-a-preliminary-research-study-82fda3979386