Can Trataka help you sleep?

Possibly, but the evidence is thin. Two small studies found that people with poor sleep reported better sleep after one to two weeks of daily Trataka, the yogic practice of gazing steadily at a candle flame. Neither study had a control group, so the improvement could reflect time, expectation or simply having a calm bedtime routine. No trial has yet compared Trataka with a proven insomnia treatment.

What is well established is the context around it: dim light in the evening supports the body's night signal, bright light delays it, and a structured therapy called CBT-I is the recommended first treatment for chronic insomnia.

So the honest answer is that evening Trataka is a reasonable, low-cost wind-down routine to test, not a treatment for insomnia. This guide covers what each study found, why an evening practice might help, how to do it safely when you are tired and near an open flame, and how to tell whether it is working for you.

What does the research show?

Two studies have measured sleep after regular Trataka practice. Both used questionnaires, both were short and neither had a comparison group.

Study Who took part Practice Control group Result
Shathirapathiy et al., 2020 29 adults with insomnia 45 minutes a day for 10 days None Insomnia and sleep-quality scores improved
Likhiya, 2024 35 adults aged 30 to 50 with disturbed sleep 15 to 30 minutes before bed for 2 weeks None Sleep-quality scores improved

The insomnia study

Thirty adults with insomnia started a 10-day program of Trataka for 45 minutes a day, and 29 completed it. Before and after, they filled in the Insomnia Severity Index and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, two standard sleep questionnaires. The average insomnia score fell from 17.9 to 8.2, which the authors describe as a drop from moderate clinical insomnia to the subthreshold range. Sleep-quality scores also improved (Shathirapathiy, Mooventhan et al., 2020).

That is a large change for 10 days, which is exactly why the missing control group matters. People often enroll in a study when their sleep is at its worst, and scores tend to drift back toward normal on their own. Expectation and the attention of a study team can also improve how people rate their sleep. A 45-minute daily session is also far longer than most people practice at home.

Bedtime practice in adults with poor sleep

In a smaller open trial, 35 adults aged 30 to 50 who reported disturbed sleep practiced Trataka once a day before bedtime, for 15 to 30 minutes, for two weeks. They gazed at a candle in a dark room just before going to bed. Their Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores improved significantly, as did the physical and psychological health parts of a quality-of-life questionnaire (Likhiya, 2024). Again, there was no control group.

Trials that are still under way

Two larger controlled trials were registered in India in 2024. One plans to split 140 people with chronic insomnia between Trataka, Nada yoga, both, and conventional medicine for 60 days (CTRI/2024/06/068429). The other compares 10 days of Trataka with blue-light therapy and with no treatment (CTRI/2024/09/074100). We could not find published results for either yet. When they appear, they will be the first real test of whether Trataka beats doing nothing.

For how the sleep evidence compares with Trataka's other claimed benefits, see our evidence-graded guide to Trataka benefits.

Why might evening Trataka help?

No study has measured how Trataka affects sleep. These are plausible reasons, each supported by research on the individual piece rather than on Trataka for sleep.

It replaces bright light with dim light

Evening light delays the body's release of melatonin, the hormone that signals night. In a laboratory study of 116 healthy young adults, ordinary room light (under 200 lux) in the eight hours before bed delayed melatonin onset in 99 percent of participants and shortened melatonin duration by about 90 minutes, compared with dim light under 3 lux (Gooley et al., 2011).

The effect also shows up at home. In a 2014 field study, eight adults spent one week keeping their home lighting as dim as possible for four hours before bed and another week keeping it bright. Every participant's melatonin onset came later after the bright week, by about an hour on average (home lighting field study, 2014).

Trataka is traditionally done with a single candle in a dark room, which is a dim-light activity. If it replaces half an hour of room lights or a bright phone, that swap alone could help. Nobody has measured melatonin during Trataka itself, so treat this as a likely side benefit of the setting rather than a proven effect of the gazing.

It may shift the body toward calm

In a 2014 study of 30 healthy men, breath rate and heart rate fell after a Trataka session but not after a control session. The authors read the heart rate variability data as a shift toward a calmer, less aroused state (Raghavendra and Ramamurthy, 2014). Feeling physiologically wound up at bedtime makes falling asleep harder, so a practice that settles the body is a reasonable fit for the evening.

It gives racing thoughts something to hold

Many people who lie awake describe the problem as a mind that will not stop. Trataka gives attention a single visible target, and when your mind drifts you notice because your gaze drifts too. That makes it easier for some people than trying to empty the mind with eyes closed. We explain the idea in more depth in how Trataka helps calm the monkey mind.

How does it compare with proven insomnia treatment?

For chronic insomnia, the American College of Physicians recommends that all adults receive cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the initial treatment. It rated this a strong recommendation based on moderate-quality evidence (American College of Physicians, 2016). CBT-I combines rethinking unhelpful beliefs about sleep with behavioral steps such as sleep restriction and stimulus control, plus sleep-habit education. It can be delivered in person, by phone, online or through self-help books (ACP announcement).

Trataka has nothing like that evidence base. If your sleep problem is persistent, CBT-I is the place to start, and evening Trataka can sit alongside it as part of a wind-down routine. One principle from CBT-I shapes how to practice: stimulus control means keeping your bed for sleep, so do Trataka in a chair, not lying in bed.

How do you practice Trataka before bed?

If you are new to the practice, read the complete beginner's guide to Trataka first. The evening version is the same technique with a few changes for safety and sleep.

What you'll need

  • A chair or cushion in a room other than your bed, or at least not on the bed
  • A candle in a stable, non-flammable holder on a clear surface, or a flameless LED candle
  • A dark room, with overhead lights and screens off
  • A timer that will not light up brightly when it ends

Step by step

  1. Dim the house first. About an hour before bed, switch to low lamps and put your phone away, so the practice is not the only dim part of your evening.
  2. Set up the candle. Place it at eye level, about 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 feet) away, with nothing that can burn nearby.
  3. Gaze softly. Look at the tip of the wick or the base of the flame for two to five minutes. Blink when you need to. Watering eyes are common, but pain is a signal to stop.
  4. Close your eyes. Rest your attention on the afterimage for a minute or two until it fades.
  5. Put the flame out before you feel drowsy. Snuff the candle while you are still fully alert, then finish with a few slow breaths.
  6. Go to bed when you are sleepy. Keep the room dark and skip the phone.

Start with five minutes of total practice. The studies used 15 to 45 minutes, but a longer session is not better if it becomes a struggle. For how to build up gradually, see how long a Trataka session should be.

Common mistakes to avoid

  1. Practicing in bed with a real flame. You may drift off with the candle burning.
  2. Straining to avoid blinking. Forcing your eyes open is uncomfortable and can leave you more alert, not less.
  3. Switching the lights back on afterwards. A bright bathroom or a phone check undoes the dim-light part of the routine.
  4. Judging it after one night. Sleep varies from night to night, so give it two weeks before you decide.

Is it safe to do Trataka at night?

The biggest risk at night is not your eyes but the flame. In US fire-department data for 2014 to 2018, falling asleep was a factor in 10 percent of home candle fires, 15 percent of candle-fire deaths and 22 percent of injuries. Most candle fires started when something that could burn was too close to the candle, and candles in bedrooms caused a disproportionate share of fires and deaths (National Fire Protection Association).

So at night:

  • Never practice with a flame in bed, and never leave a candle burning when you are drowsy.
  • Use a flameless LED candle or a static target if you are very tired, live with children or pets, or practice in a small bedroom. A black dot works well; see the types of Trataka for alternatives.
  • Check your eyes and health first. If you have glaucoma, retinal disease or recent eye surgery, ask an eye doctor before gazing practice. If you have photosensitive epilepsy, avoid flickering flames and ask your doctor before trying a static target.
  • Stop if you get eye pain, headaches or lasting visual disturbance.

Our guide to whether Trataka is dangerous covers each risk in detail.

How can you tell whether it is working?

Run a simple two-week test rather than judging by how you feel on one night.

  1. Keep a sleep diary for a week without Trataka. Each morning, note roughly how long it took to fall asleep, how often you woke and how rested you felt.
  2. Add evening Trataka for two weeks. Keep your bedtime, caffeine and screen habits the same, so the practice is the main change.
  3. Compare the averages. If you fall asleep faster or feel more rested, keep it. If nothing has changed, the dim evening routine may still be worth keeping even if the gazing is not.

If you want help remembering to practice, a reminder app with streak tracking can keep the routine consistent. Because phone screens are bright, use it earlier in the evening or at the lowest brightness, then switch to a candle or dot for the bedtime session.

When should you see a doctor instead?

See a doctor if poor sleep persists for weeks, affects how you function during the day, or comes with loud snoring, gasping at night or low mood. Those can point to conditions such as sleep apnea or depression that a gazing practice will not fix. Ask about CBT-I, and do not stop or change prescribed sleep medication without medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is Trataka better in the morning or at night for sleep?

For sleep, the evening makes most sense, because it can replace bright light and screens with a dim, calming routine. For focus, many people prefer the morning. The bedtime study had people practice just before going to bed.

How long before bed should I do Trataka?

Finish while you are still alert, then go to bed once you feel sleepy. For most people that means practicing in the last half hour to hour before bed, with a dim room before and after.

Can I do Trataka lying in bed?

Not with a candle, because of the fire risk if you fall asleep. It also works against the stimulus-control principle of keeping your bed for sleep. Sit in a chair, and if you want to practice in the bedroom, use a flameless candle.

Can I use my phone for Trataka at night?

You can, but a phone screen is much brighter than a candle, and bright evening light delays melatonin. If you use guided sessions on your phone, turn the brightness right down and keep the session short, or use the app earlier and a candle at bedtime.

Will Trataka help with racing thoughts at night?

It may. A visible target gives your attention somewhere to rest, and noticing when your gaze drifts helps you notice when your mind drifts. No study has measured this at bedtime, so the two-week diary is the best way to find out.

Can Trataka replace sleeping pills?

No. Only two small, uncontrolled studies support it, and none compared it with medication or CBT-I. Do not stop or reduce prescribed medication without talking to your doctor.

How long does it take to notice a difference?

The two studies measured changes after 10 days and two weeks. Give it at least two weeks of nightly practice before deciding.

Sources

  • Shathirapathiy G, Mooventhan A, Mangaiarkarasi N, et al. Effect of trataka (yogic gazing) on insomnia severity and quality of sleep in people with insomnia. Explore (NY). 2020. PubMed
  • Likhiya S. Efficacy of Trataka Kriya in improving quality of sleep in population aged 30-50 years: An open clinical trial. Int J Life Sci Res Arch. 2024. PDF
  • Clinical assessment of Trataka and Nada Yoga on Anidra (chronic insomnia). CTRI/2024/06/068429. Registry listing
  • Effect of blue light therapy and Trataka on insomnia patients: a comparative study. CTRI/2024/09/074100. Registry listing
  • Gooley JJ, Chamberlain K, Smith KA, et al. Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:E463-E472. Full text
  • Home lighting before usual bedtime impacts circadian timing: a field study. 2014. Full text
  • Raghavendra BR, Ramamurthy V. Changes in heart rate variability following yogic visual concentration (Trataka). Heart India. 2014. Full text
  • American College of Physicians. Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016. Full text
  • Ahrens M. Home candle fires. National Fire Protection Association. 2020. Report

This article is for general information and is not medical advice.

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Last updated: September 30, 2026