Effects of exercise on sleep

It is commonly assumed that exercise is one of the most important behavioral factors promoting sleep. Epidemiologic studies have generally shown positive associations of exercise with sleep. On the other hand, experimental studies have failed to demonstrate substantial sleep-promoting effects of either acute or chronic exercise. However, many experimental studies have been limited to good sleepers with little room for improvement because of ceiling/floor effects. The limited research on people with insomnia has yielded more promising results. Better-controlled research with objective sleep measures is needed to verify these findings. There are strong theoretical rationales for examining the efficacy of exercise sleep problems secondary to anxiety, depression, or circadian malsynchronization. Evidence of exercise as an effective treatment for RLS should also be expanded.