Scientists suggest that one of the best exercises for improving sleep in the long run is a good session of yoga – with recent research showing that it’s more strongly associated with improved sleep than walking, resistance training, combination exercise, aerobic exercise, or traditional Chinese exercises, like qi gong and tai chi.
Science Alert reports that the meta-analysis of 30 randomised controlled trials from more than a dozen countries had involved more than 2 500 participants with sleep disturbances across all age groups.
When the researchers at the Harbin Sport University in China crunched the numbers, they found that high-intensity yoga for less than 30 minutes, twice a week, was the best exercise antidote for poor sleep.
Walking was the next best form of physical activity, followed by resistance exercise. Positive results were seen in as few as eight to 10 weeks, they said.
The findings, published in 2025, are somewhat inconsistent with a 2023 meta-analysis, which found that aerobic exercise or mid-intensity exercise three times a week was the most effective way to improve sleep quality in individuals with sleep disturbances.
One of the studies included in that review, however, did indicate that yoga had more significant effects on sleep outcomes than other exercise types.
What’s more, yoga can be difficult to categorise as either aerobic or anaerobic, and its intensity can vary depending on the technique used.
Perhaps these differences in practise can explain why the outcomes differ from trial to trial.
The most recent meta-analysis cannot explain why yoga may be particularly beneficial for sleep, but several possibilities exist.
Not only can yoga raise the heart rate and push the muscles, it can also regulate breathing. Research indicates that breath control can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is involved in “rest and digestion”.
Some studies even suggest yoga regulates brainwave activity patterns, which could promote deeper sleep.
But while robust evidence suggests that exercise in general is beneficial for sleep, studies that compare specific exercises and their long-term effects are lacking.
“Caution should be exercised when interpreting findings from studies on sleep disturbances, given the limited number of studies included and the unique characteristics of the sleep disturbances population,” said the Harbin researchers.
“Further, high-quality research is needed to confirm these findings.”
Tai chi benefits
Another study published in 2025 found that tai chi was effective for improving sleep, comparable with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
By the end of an experiment, a group that received CBT-I reported a greater reduction in their insomnia symptoms than those in a tai chi group, with changes assessed using a common seven-question screening tool called the Insomnia Severity Index.
But when the researchers assessed participants again 15 months later, the tai chi group had “caught up'”, enjoying improvements in sleep quality and duration, quality of life, mental health, and physical activity level that were on par with the CBT-I group.
This suggests that tai chi’s accessibility and ease of integration into people's lifestyles may benefit its long-term effectiveness.
Much like yoga, the research suggests signing up for tai chi classes could be beneficial in getting a better night’s sleep, especially in the long term, as a supplement to existing therapies.
The yoga study was published in Sleep and Biological Rhythms.
Science Alert article – One Form of Exercise Improves Sleep The Most, Study Reveals (Open access)
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