Announcement of effective treatment of insomnia with tai chi, yoga and jogging

At Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, under the slogan “Find Your Radiance,” more than 1,000 participants gathered outdoors to practice Surya Namaskar — a series of 12 yoga postures — as well as Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, two popular styles.

Insomnia is a common condition, affecting between 4-22% of the population and is closely linked to physical and mental health problems such as dementia and cardiovascular disease. While CBT is considered effective, it is difficult to access due to a lack of specialists, and medication often comes with side effects.

To determine whether any type of exercise is best for treating insomnia, researchers analyzed data from 22 randomized clinical trials, with a total of 1,348 participants and 13 types of interventions, including seven exercise-based methods: yoga, tai chi, walking/jogging, combined aerobic and strength training, strength training alone, aerobic plus therapy, and mixed aerobic.

Compared with standard treatments, yoga, tai chi, and running all showed significant improvements in sleep duration, sleep efficiency (the ratio of time spent asleep to time spent in bed), reduced nighttime awakenings, and sleep latency. Yoga increased sleep by nearly 2 hours per night, improved sleep efficiency by nearly 15%, reduced wake time after falling asleep by nearly 1 hour, and shortened sleep latency by 30 minutes.

Tai chi increased sleep duration by more than 50 minutes, reduced sleep quality by more than 4 points, shortened the time spent awake at night by more than 30 minutes, and reduced the time spent having difficulty falling asleep by about 25 minutes. Further analysis showed that these effects persisted for up to 2 years after the practice. Meanwhile, walking or jogging reduced the severity of insomnia by nearly 10 points—a clinically significant reduction.

Researchers believe that yoga and tai chi are effective because they help control breathing, relax the body, and train attention – helping to regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and “turn off” the constant flow of thoughts, thereby improving sleep. Tai chi can also reduce the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which is the cause of excessive alertness.

Meanwhile, walking and jogging help increase energy expenditure, reduce the stress hormone cortisol, increase melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone) and improve the quality of deep sleep.

Although more than two-thirds of the studies analyzed had methodological limitations and small sample sizes, the authors said the results were convincing enough to recommend exercise modalities such as yoga, tai chi, and running as primary treatment options—not just adjuncts—in managing insomnia.

“With their low cost, few side effects, and accessibility, these methods are well suited to be incorporated into public health and primary care settings,” the researchers note. They also suggest that each form of exercise may be appropriate for different types of insomnia symptoms – something that needs to be further explored in future research.

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Source: https://baolaocai.vn/cong-bo-hieu-qua-dieu-tri-mat-ngu-nho-thai-cuc-quyen-yoga-va-chay-bo-post649095.html