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3 days ago
- Health
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Taking that yoga class may help you sleep better
Want to improve the quality of your sleep? Taking a yoga class or some other form of gentle exercise can make a major difference. Researchers say yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging may be the best types of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia. Insomnia, or an inability to fall asleep, affects some 25 to 30 million Americans. "Insomnia can impact everyday life and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases [like heart disease and stroke] and Alzheimer's… and exercise is nature's sleeping pill," Dr. Zhijun Bu, the lead author of the study and master student at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told ABC News. Bu and fellow researchers say that their findings back the use of exercise as a primary treatment strategy for poor sleep patterns. Comparing the results of 22 relevant randomized clinical trials involving 1,348 participants and 13 different treatments to ease insomnia, they assessed and scored their effectiveness, including factors such as sleep quality and insomnia severity, the percentage of time asleep when in bed, the number of times people woke up after going to sleep, and the time it took to fall asleep. Researchers say that yoga and other exercises could be an effective treatment for insomnia. The condition impacts tens of millions of Americans (AFP via Getty Images) The programs analyzed in the study ranged in length from a month to 26 weeks and seven were exercised-based. The exercises evaluated also included aerobic plus strength exercise, strength training alone, aerobic exercise combined with therapy, and mixed aerobic exercises. The non-exercise-related approaches were cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep hygiene, acupuncture and massage, nothing, Ayurveda medicine, and existing treatment for the issue. The durations of those approaches ranged from six to 26 weeks. The researchers said that cognitive behavioral therapy, which is commonly called psychotherapy, is likely to result in a large increase in total sleep time and may improve sleep efficiency and shorten the amount of time spent awake after falling asleep. But, exercise also showed promising outcomes. Practicing yoga, for example, likely results in a large increase in total sleep time of nearly two hours, improve sleep efficiency by nearly 15 percent, reduce the amount of time spent awake after falling asleep by nearly an hour, and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep by around half an hour. Going for a walk or jog could result in a large reduction in insomnia severity and Tai Chi may increase total sleep time by more than 50 minutes, reduce time spent awake after falling asleep by over half an hour, and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep by around 25 minutes. Tai Chi performed better on all assessed outcomes than existing treatments for up to two years. Tai Chi may increase your total sleep time by nearly an hour, the meta analysis found. Yoga likely results in an increase in total sleep time of nearly two hours (Getty Images for National Counci) The analysis was published recently in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. The authors said the explanation for their findings was likely tied to biology. Yoga focuses on controlled breathing and body awareness. Tai Chi also emphasizes breath control and relaxation and has been shown to decrease sympathetic nervous system activity. Walking or jogging may improve sleep by increasing energy expenditure, curbing cortisol production, boosting secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin, and enhancing the amount of deep sleep. "Our research shows people of all ages and genders can observe the sleep benefits of exercise," Bu said. "We hope our findings can lead to further changes within public health."
15-07-2025
- Health
Why gentle exercise like yoga, tai chi and walking may help people sleep better
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or get restful sleep. It affects nearly 15% of American adults each month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says the generally recommended insomnia treatments include medications, psychological therapy and behavioral modification. Until now, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits might benefit sleep, according to researchers. In a new review published in the BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine journal, researchers analyzed 22 previously published studies involving over 1,300 patients, confirming that cognitive-based therapy -- which focuses on helping people change unhelpful thoughts and habits-- is the gold standard for insomnia treatment. But it also found that yoga, tai chi and walking or jogging and other gentle approaches to exercise are effective as well. "Insomnia can impact everyday life and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases [like heart disease and stroke] and Alzheimer's… and exercise is nature's sleeping pill," Dr. Zhijun Bu, the lead author of the study and master student at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told ABC News. Researchers also found cognitive behavioral therapy, tai chi, yoga or a mix of aerobic activities like walking, jogging and cycling all improve sleep, including total sleep time and how long it takes to fall asleep. All of these activities also helped people slumber more soundly and wake up less often during the night. In some instances, exercise may be even more helpful than therapy, the researchers say. Yoga improved the total sleep time by nearly two hours, and a combination of cardiovascular activities helped people nod off almost 30 minutes faster, the new research says. Bu recommended people who live with insomnia try a bunch of different exercise activities to see which one works best for them. For someone who doesn't sleep enough or who has trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, yoga and tai chi may do the trick, he said. For those who are still fatigued throughout the day due to lack of sleep, walking or jogging may be a better option, he added. The benefits from tai chi and cognitive-based therapy persisted for up to two years, the study found. The benefits of aerobic activity paired on its own or paired with strength exercises, lasted up to seven months. Previous studies have shown that moderate intensity exercise, like brisk walking or jogging done regularly and for a steady duration, may lead to better sleep, but high intensity exercise like sprinting and heavy lifting may not. Since gentle workouts like yoga, tai chi and walking have minimal side effects and most people can do them easily, Bu contends they are good choices to help combat insomnia. "Our research shows people of all ages and genders can observe the sleep benefits of exercise," Bu added. "We hope our findings can lead to further changes within public health."
