Overview

• A review of 22 trials with 1,348 participants shows yoga boosts total sleep time by nearly two hours and cuts wakefulness after sleep onset by almost an hour
• Tai Chi enhances nightly rest by more than 50 minutes, reduces wake time by over 30 minutes and speeds sleep onset by about 25 minutes with effects lasting up to two years
• Comparative data reveal walking and jogging outperform strength training and mixed aerobics in easing insomnia symptoms
• Experts advise finishing workouts five to six hours before bedtime and no later than two hours prior to prevent adrenaline spikes from disrupting sleep
• Individualized exercise prescriptions leverage hormonal regulation, brain-activity changes and mood benefits to optimize nonpharmacological insomnia management