Insomnia is a common disease with 4-22% of the population, which is closely related to physical and mental health problems such as dementia and cardiovascular disease.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered effective, but it is challenging to access due to lack of experts, and medication is often accompanied by side effects.
To see which type of exercise is best for insomnia treatment, the researchers analyzed the data from 22 randomly clinical trials, including 1,348 participants and 13 types of interventions. intervention includes seven exercise-based methods, including yoga, tai chi, walking/jogging, combination of aerobic exercise and strength exercise, strength exercise alone, aerobic exercise and treatment, and mixed aerobic exercise.
Compared to the standard treatment, yoga, tai chi, and running all showed significant improvements in sleeping time, sleep efficiency (time ratio of time for beds), night awakening, and decrease in sleep incubation. Yoga increased the sleep time almost two hours every night, improved the sleep efficiency almost 15%, and shortened the waking time almost one hour after falling asleep, and shortened the sleep incubation by 30 minutes.
The Tai Chi has increased the sleep time for more than 50 minutes, reduced the quality of sleep by more than 4 points, shortened the awake time at night for more than 30 minutes, and shortened the time to have difficulty falling asleep. Further analysis showed that these effects lasted up to two years after the Tai Chi training. On the other hand, walking or jogging has reduced the seriousness of insomnia by almost 10 points, which is a clinically significant decline.
Researchers believe that yoga and tai chi are effective in controlling breathing,relaxation of body,and training,which are effective in controlling emotions,reducing anxiety,and blocking the flow of constant thoughts. Tai Chi can also reduce the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the cause of excessive awakening.
Walking and jogging will increase energy consumption, reduce stress hormones, cortisols, increase melatonin (sleep-induced hormones), and improve the quality of sleep.
More than two-thirds of the analyzed research had a small limit and a sample size, but the researchers said that they are convincing enough to recommend as a major treatment option, not auxiliary treatment for insomnia management.
The researchers said, “These methods are low in cost, low side effects and excellent accessibility. Medical treatment It is also very suitable for introducing the environment.”
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