Sleep is one of those things we never think about until we’re staring at the ceiling at 12 a.m., wide awake, wondering why we’re not dead tired after a long day. The truth is, good sleep doesn’t just happen. It’s earned; and your workout routine might be holding the key.

A massive meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine in early 2025 just dropped some truth bombs about how exercise impacts sleep. Believe it or not, it’s not the blanket advice you might expect. Spoiler alert: walking on the treadmill while doom-scrolling might not cut it.

Researchers Zhou et al. (2025) analyzed 81 randomized controlled trials with over 6,100 non-athlete participants to get a clear picture of how exercise affects sleep in the general population aka regular gym folks, not gym rats!

They looked at both:

1. Subjective sleep quality (how people felt about their sleep)
2. Objective sleep efficiency (how much time in bed was actually spent sleeping, not tossing & turning).

The results? Exercise significantly improves sleep across the board.

• Participants who exercised reported better sleep quality, with a decrease of 1.77 points on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) — a solid shift from “meh” to “much better.”
• Their sleep efficiency also improved by 4.8%, which is the difference between a restless night and feeling like a legend by morning.

But here is where it gets even more interesting:

The study compared different types of movement — from aerobic exercise to resistance training to mind-body workouts like yoga and tai chi. Here’s the ranking in terms of effectiveness:

1. For sleep quality (how restful it feels), mind-body exercises like yoga and tai chi came out on top.

• These reduced PSQI scores the most (–2.28 points) and had the highest probability of being the best option.

    2.  For Sleep Efficiency (how well you actually sleep), aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, or cycling won.

• They bumped sleep efficiency by 5.02%, with the highest ranking on that front.

In other words:

• Want to feel more rested? Breathe, stretch, repeat.
• Want deeper, more efficient sleep? Break a sweat.

When you exercise, especially consistently, your body regulates cortisol and other stress hormones, reduces anxiety, and shifts your circadian rhythm in a healthy direction. Movement also builds sleep pressure, the biological drive that makes you feel sleepy at night. So yes, you’re literally tiring yourself out in a productive, sleep-inducing way.

Mind-body practices like yoga go a step further by combining physical movement with breath control and mindfulness, which calms the nervous system and activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode — ideal for winding down before bed.

Look — no one’s asking you to train for a marathon or become a certified yogi. But if sleep has been a struggle, here’s what you can realistically do starting today:



1. Add 30–60 Minutes of Movement Most Days

Even brisk walking counts. Aim for a mix of moderate-intensity aerobic workouts and slower, calming sessions like yoga or stretching.

2. Try Mind-Body Workouts at Night

Late-night HIIT? Bad idea. But gentle yoga or tai chi? That’s a sleep hack.

3. Stay Consistent

Sleep gains take time. Think weeks, not days. The longer you stick with it, the better your sleep becomes — even if you don’t notice it right away.

4. Ditch the “All or Nothing” Mentality

You don’t need a perfect program. Just keep moving — imperfect, regular action is still powerful.

If you’re tired of being tired, your first stop might not be melatonin or meditation apps. It might be your sneakers. Or your yoga mat. Or both.

Exercise isn’t a magic pill, but based on the data, it’s about as close as you can get for improving both how you sleep and how you feel about your sleep. So go ahead folks: earn your Zzzs the old-fashioned way.

Your body, and your brain, will thank you.

Your friend in fitness,

Alexander

Care to read the full study? Check it out here!