A new study published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine finds that yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging may be among the best exercises to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia.
These forms of exercise may serve as primary treatment options, especially for those seeking alternatives to medication or lacking access to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Insomnia, marked by trouble falling or staying asleep, affects 4-22% of people. It is linked to increased risk for mental and physical health problems, including dementia and heart disease. While drugs and CBT can help, side effects and limited access to trained therapists create barriers.
Researchers analyzed 22 randomized clinical trials involving 1,348 participants to compare 13 treatment strategies for insomnia, including 7 exercise-based interventions. These studies were included in a network meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of each approach using validated sleep quality scores and other measures.
CBT proved highly effective in improving sleep time, efficiency, and reducing time awake. However, certain exercises showed similar or better results in specific areas:
Yoga: Increased total sleep time by nearly 2 hours, improved efficiency by 15%, and reduced wakefulness by nearly an hour.
Walking/Jogging: Reduced insomnia severity by nearly 10 points.
Tai Chi: Improved all sleep measures, including over 50 minutes of increased total sleep time and 25 minutes shorter sleep latency. Benefits lasted up to 2 years.
Each type of exercise may help through different mechanisms: Yoga can enhance brain function, reduces anxiety and depression. Tai Chi calms the nervous system and reduces mental overactivity. Walking/Jogging increases energy expenditure, melatonin production, and improves emotional regulation.
About 68% of the studies had design flaws, small sample sizes, or lacked standardized metrics for exercise intensity. Still, the findings suggest exercise offers a promising low-cost, low-risk treatment for insomnia.
The study strongly supports integrating accessible exercises like yoga, Tai Chi, and walking into primary care. These can be personalized based on which insomnia symptoms a person wants to address. More research is needed to refine these recommendations.
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