Yoga: apparently good for sleep

 Anyone who does intensive yoga for a maximum of half an hour twice a week did noticed clear improvements in sleep quality after 8 to 10 weeks

I recently wrote about research into which forms of exercise are most beneficial for your sleep. Researchers compared 22 studies with a total of 1,348 people with insomnia. The result? Yoga was the big winner.

However, there's a caveat: sometimes such a meta-study is comparing apples and oranges. Some studies measure sleep with devices in a sleep lab (objectively), while others use questionnaires or sleep diaries (subjectively). How you think you sleep can differ significantly from what a lab measures, especially for people with sleep problems.

Yoga wins again

Now, there's additional research from Harbin Sports University. There, researchers compared 30 studies with over 2,500 participants from more than ten countries, all with sleep problems. They looked at the effect of various types of exercise on sleep quality: walking, strength training, dance, tai chi, and yoga. They also examined how often, how long, how intensively, and how many weeks you should exercise for the best results.

And yes: yoga wins again. Anyone who does intensive yoga for a maximum of half an hour twice a week did noticed clear improvements in sleep quality after 8 to 10 weeks.

Yoga combines movement, breathing, focus, and relaxation. This appears to reduce stress and positively influence your nervous system. Interestingly, it's not about the gentle, slow yoga, but rather more intensive forms like power yoga or vinyasa flow. Tip: Avoid intense yoga just before bed, as it can disrupt your sleep.

The researchers emphasize that the number of studies and participants is still limited. More research is needed to confirm these findings. But for now, it seems that yoga, and intense yoga in particular, can significantly improve your sleep.