Why exercise really can make you sleep better at night…
If you’ve been struggling with sleep, your yoga mat might just be the secret weapon you need.
A new meta-analysis of 30 clinical trials has found that high-intensity yoga is one of the most effective exercises for improving sleep, even more so than walking, weight training, aerobic workouts, or traditional practices like tai chi and qi gong.
What the research shows
The study, led by researchers at Harbin Sport University in China, reviewed data from over 2,500 participants across more than a dozen countries, all of whom had sleep problems. The results revealed:
- High-intensity yoga, practiced for less than 30 minutes, twice a week, showed the biggest improvement in sleep quality.
- Walking came in second place, followed by resistance training.
- Positive changes in sleep were seen in as little as 8 to 10 weeks.
Interestingly, this differs from a 2023 study, which suggested aerobic exercise three times a week was the best way to improve sleep. Researchers say this may be because yoga is hard to classify—it can be both aerobic and anaerobic, depending on the style and intensity.
Why yoga may help you sleep
Scientists aren’t completely sure why yoga has such a strong effect on sleep, but there are some good clues:
- Yoga gets the heart pumping while also calming the mind.
- Breathing exercises in yoga can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax.
- Some studies suggest yoga may even regulate brainwave activity, encouraging deeper, more restful sleep.
A word of caution
The researchers also stressed that while exercise is generally good for sleep, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may not work for another. More long-term studies are still needed to compare different exercise types and their effects.
Still, if you’re tossing and turning at night, rolling out your yoga mat a couple of times a week could be worth a try.
The findings were published in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms.
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