The best form of exercise may not be the most obvious, according to new research.
Many people don’t think of yoga as an exhausting exercise routine. But, a meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials found that regular high-intensity yoga sessions were more strongly associated with good sleep than walking, resistance training, aerobic exercise, combination routines or exercises like tai chi. The studies analyzed took place in more than a dozen counties and had more than 2,500 participants of all different ages.
A regimen of two 30-minute sessions of high-intensity yoga a week was the best treatment for bad sleep, according to the meta-analysis. Walking came in second place, resistance exercise — like push-ups, squats and lunges — came in third.
Yoga is neither strictly aerobic nor anaerobic exercise. It increases pulses, strains muscles and controls breathing — aiding digestion. Some research has even found that yoga may regulate brain waves.
As this was a meta-analysis, the researchers said, “Further, high-quality research is needed to confirm these findings.”
Yoga has been found again and again to aid sleep. Research from Harvard comparing yoga to active sleep hygiene found that yoga helped more with sleep efficiency, total sleep time and insomnia severity. And the positive results continued six months after the study.
In that study, the researchers posited that the positive benefits came from how breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and cortisol levels. The meditative nature of yoga also prevents stress and interrupts nagging thoughts that can upset sleep patterns.
While yoga may be the best form of exercise, another recent study found the best thing for sleep isn’t just one thing. A study split participants into four groups. All the groups had insomnia. One group exercised, one group got sleep training. One group got both. The fourth group was a control set that wasn’t asked to change their routine. The group that both exercised and did sleep training saw the most improvement in their sleep. Their training included personalized advice and therapy for insomnia to target behavior that damages sleep. The training focused more on people’s activities than on how perfectly optimized their bedroom was for sleep.
The researchers found that what was important was reinforcing habits and making routines and schedules, rather than one specific aspect. That might be why yoga is so helpful; it can combine exercise with healthy habits in a soothing way. No matter what the underlying reason is, if you have been struggling with sleep, yoga may be a key to unlocking a better night.
