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 behavioral 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.
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.
The benefits from tai chi and cognitive behavioral therapy persisted for up to two years, the study found. The benefits of aerobic activity, on its own or paired with strength exercises, lasted up to seven months.