According to BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, insomnia affects up to 22% of adults worldwide and is more than just a nighttime discomfort.1 The condition, which is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently during the night, waking too early, or feeling unrefreshed in the morning, doubles the risk of depression, increases the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 50%, and increases the risk of cardiovascular events by 45%.2
If left unaddressed, it can deplete physical and mental resilience, impair concentration, and accelerate long-term health deterioration. People suffering from insomnia often discover that the problem is not limited to the bedroom. If you don’t sleep well, you’ll feel more tired every hour you’re awake, have more mood swings, have impaired memory, and have slower reaction times. Chronic insomnia can disrupt hormonal balance, weaken the immune system, and even affect metabolic health, making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and blood sugar levels.
Rising medical costs and declining productivity are rapidly increasing health and economic costs and increasing burden. Conventional treatments, such as prescription sleep aids or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have risks and limitations. Sleep medications cause dependence and other serious health risks, and while CBT is highly effective, it is expensive and difficult to access due to a lack of trained providers.
This gap has left many people looking for effective, affordable, and sustainable options to improve sleep without side effects. The 2025 study suggests a powerful solution. Certain forms of exercise are more effective than others when it comes to restoring healthy sleep patterns. Current evidence suggests there are three accessible, low-risk activities that offer measurable benefits for people with insomnia.
Study reveals the best exercise for restful sleep
In an analysis published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, researchers looked at 22 randomized controlled trials involving 1,348 adults diagnosed with insomnia or severe insomnia symptoms.3 They compared 13 different interventions, including seven forms of structured exercise, to determine which produced the greatest improvements in sleep quality, duration, and efficiency. Three stood out above the rest: yoga, tai chi, and walking.
• All participants had measurable sleep disturbances. The intervention was compared to an “active control group” that included items such as usual care, lifestyle advice or stretching. These controls are important because they require a certain level of involvement and attention. This means that any improvements you may see with more structured exercise are likely due to the exercise itself, rather than simply increased social interaction or activity.
• Yoga produced the greatest increase in total sleep time. Sleep diary data showed that yoga increased total nightly sleep by approximately 111 minutes compared to the active control group. It also improved sleep efficiency (the percentage of time spent actually sleeping in bed) by 15.6% and reduced the time awake after first falling asleep by nearly 56 minutes.
Sleep onset latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) was shortened by approximately 29 minutes. These changes are considered clinically meaningful and translate into fewer awakenings, falling asleep faster, and feeling more rested in the morning.
• Tai Chi improved both subjective and objective sleep outcomes — Subjective measures (e.g., sleep diaries) showed that Tai Chi participants slept about 52 minutes longer, stayed awake for 36 minutes less after first falling asleep, and fell asleep about 25 minutes faster.
Objective tools such as actigraphy, a wrist-worn device that tracks movement to estimate sleep and wake times, also showed a 24-minute increase in total sleep time. These improvements were not only significant, but in some cases persisted for months or even years after participants completed the structured program, highlighting the long-term impact of tai chi.
• Walking reduced insomnia severity more than any other activity — On the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), walking reduced scores by an average of 9.6 points compared to the active control group. This is a large effect size that signals fewer nighttime awakenings, fewer difficulties falling asleep, and reduced daytime fatigue. Walking also ranks highest on the list of potential best interventions for improving ISI, making it particularly important for reducing the overall burden of insomnia symptoms.
• Walking is an activity that can be safely repeated every day. The BMJ study broke down walking and jogging, but evidence from cardiologist Dr James O’Keefe shows why continuing with moderate-intensity exercise such as walking is a wiser choice in the long term.4
Their study found that while sedentary people can gain significant survival and health benefits when they start exercising, excessive and strenuous exercise, such as repetitive triathlons, erases many of these benefits and increases the risk of atrial fibrillation by up to 800 percent in middle-aged adults. In contrast, for moderate-intensity activities like walking, you can’t overdo it. More is better and is not associated with the risk of overtraining.
Exercise can quickly improve your sleep.
Some interventions improved insomnia in as little as four weeks, while others lasted up to 26 weeks. In particular, both tai chi and walking showed significant benefits even in programs lasting less than 12 weeks. This means you don’t need to commit to a year of therapy to experience measurable sleep improvements.5
• Comparative rankings reveal a clear leader — When all interventions were ranked using a statistical probability model, yoga was most effective in increasing total sleep time and improving sleep efficiency, Tai Chi was most effective in improving both subjective and objective sleep quality, and walking ranked first in reducing overall insomnia severity.
Other exercise combinations combining aerobic and strength training provided benefits but were generally less effective than the three approaches above.
• An underlying biological mechanism explains the results. Researchers noted that the controlled breathing, body awareness, and relaxation components of yoga are linked to increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body transition into a relaxed state.
The slow, rhythmic movements of Tai Chi combined with mindfulness have been shown to lower stress hormone levels, reduce inflammation, and improve circadian rhythm regulation (a biological process often disrupted by insomnia). Walking increases energy expenditure during the day, promoting deeper sleep at night, and also helps regulate the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that triggers the onset of sleep.
• These activities affect brain and body systems involved in sleep regulation. Exercise stimulates neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neural connections in areas such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (areas involved in sleep-wake regulation).
Increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through regular exercise further supports healthy sleep architecture. Improved cardiovascular function and reduced systemic inflammation improve sleep stability and reduce nocturnal disturbances.
5 Ways to Use Exercise for Better Sleep
The latest research leaves no doubt. Exercise is one of the most effective natural tools to improve sleep. However, not all activities provide the same benefits, and too much of the wrong type of activity can harm your health. Here’s how to put science into practice while protecting your long-term well-being.
1. Make walking your main daily activity — Walking is consistently rated as one of the best interventions for reducing the severity of insomnia, and is an exercise you shouldn’t overdo if maintained at a moderate pace. Moderate-intensity walking (fast enough to leave you slightly out of breath but still able to converse) provides lasting benefits to your sleep, mood, and overall health without the risk of overtraining.
2. Add yoga to increase your total sleep time — Yoga’s combination of movement, controlled breathing and relaxation techniques not only increases flexibility and reduces stress, it also increases the amount of nightly sleep some insomniacs get by nearly two hours. Consistently doing even short sessions will improve both the quality and efficiency of your sleep.
3. Use Tai Chi to Improve Long-Term Sleep — The slow, rhythmic movements of Tai Chi help reduce stress hormones, lower inflammation, and regulate the body’s internal clock. The benefits have been shown to appear months or even years after completing a structured program, making it a wise long-term investment in your sleep health.
4. Exercise early in the morning — Timing is important. Aim to complete your workout at least 3 hours before bed. Vigorous late-night activity overstimulates the nervous system, delays the release of melatonin, and interferes with the ability to relax. Early morning walking, yoga, or tai chi can help prepare your body for rest at night.
5. Consistently, without extremes — Exercise, if practiced consistently over several weeks or months, can help your sleep. Going “all in” on a high-intensity routine may feel productive at first, but research shows that this approach is counterproductive for both heart health and sleep quality. Choose an activity you enjoy, maintain a moderate effort, and make it part of your daily rhythm.
For optimal sleep, combine regular exercise with good sleep hygiene, including maintaining a dark bedroom, exposing yourself to morning sunlight, and avoiding blue light before bed. For more strategies to improve your sleep, read our comprehensive list of 33 healthy sleep habits.
FAQs about exercise for insomnia
cue: What is the most effective exercise for improving insomnia?
no way: Studies show that yoga, tai chi, and walking are the three best exercises to relieve insomnia symptoms. Yoga is particularly effective in increasing total sleep time and improving sleep efficiency, tai chi improves short- and long-term sleep quality, and walking reduces overall insomnia severity while improving daytime alertness.
cue: How does yoga help people with insomnia sleep better?
no way: Yoga combines gentle movement, controlled breathing, and mental focus to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This can help reduce nighttime awakenings, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and provide deeper, more restorative rest.
cue: Why is Tai Chi effective for improving long-term sleep?
no way: The slow, mindful movements of Tai Chi lower stress hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve circadian rhythm regulation. These effects will help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and maintain better sleep patterns even months after you start practicing.
cue: How does walking improve sleep quality?
no way: Regular walking during the day, especially in natural light, supports healthy melatonin production and stabilizes your circadian rhythm. This makes it easier to fall asleep at night, reduces night wakings, and improves overall sleep satisfaction.
cue: How soon will you notice that exercise improves your sleep?
no way: The benefits of walking and tai chi have been recorded in just 4 to 12 weeks, with some benefits lasting long after a structured program has ended. Consistency is more important than intensity.
