The relationship between sleep and cognitive function has been a topic of interest for over a century. Well-controlled sleep studies conducted with healthy adults have shown that better sleep improves cognitive functions, learning and memory through strengthening specific synaptic connections. Sleep is thought to play a crucial and specific role in memory consolidation. However, the general understanding is that specific synaptic connections that were active during awake- periods are strengthened during sleep, allowing for the consolidation of memory, and synaptic connections that were inactive are weakened. Thus, sleep provides an essential function for memory consolidation (allowing us to remember what has been studied), which in turn is critical for successful academic performance. In recent years, significant changes have taken place around the world regarding the quantitative and qualitative expansion of internet, social networks and number of people who use them. Instagram, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and WhatsApp are among the most popular and commonly used virtual social networks. Currently (2018), the number of internet
users in the world is about 4.021 billion and 3.196 billion people use social networks on a regular basis worldwide. The emergence of new technologies such as internet and social networks, in addition to providing opportunities in facilitating and improving the quality of global communications, has created some threats. When the use of social networks is managed poorly, they can have negative consequences at the individual and social levels. Social networking addiction is one of the consequences that many social network users may experience. Thus, the extensive use of social networks is a new form of soft addiction. Bhramari Pranayama is recommended by the traditional yogic-literatures particularly for: effectively reducing stress and improving the quality of sleep. However, there is no modern scientific evidence to support these specific benefits from Bhramari Pranayama. Hence this study was undertaken, to evaluate the effect of Bhramari Pranayama practice on sleep quality in college students. |