Can exercise help you sleep better?

Most sleep advice focuses on screens, routines and gadgets. A 2026 review in Sleep Medicine Reviews brings the focus back to something simpler: how much you move during the day.

What the researchers did

The team combined 200 randomised controlled trials involving 23,523 adults. Each trial compared an exercise programme with a group that didn't exercise. They looked at people's own ratings of their sleep, and, in 20 trials, at sleep efficiency measured with devices: the share of time in bed actually spent asleep.

What they found

• Overall, exercise improved how well people said they slept.
• Qigong, walking and high-intensity interval training showed some of the largest benefits.
• Where sleep was measured with devices, exercise produced a small but real improvement in sleep efficiency.
• People who slept poorly at the start were much more likely to see a meaningful improvement than people who already slept well.
• Benefits grew with programme length and peaked at around 25 weeks, so this is a months-long habit, not a one-week fix.

What it means for you

• Walking counts. One of the most effective options is also the simplest and cheapest.
• Give it time. Think in months. Keep a simple sleep diary so you can see the trend.
• Find what you'll keep doing. Gentle movement such as qigong or yoga, brisk walking and short interval sessions all appeared helpful.
• Keep hard sessions earlier in the day if you find late workouts leave you wired.

Source

Liang Z, Zhao S, Tian S, et al. Determinants and interrelations of exercise effects on sleep quality: a multimethod meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2026. Read the study