What exercise regimen is most effective for improving sleep quality in older adults? a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Authors

Lina Wen, Shoujiang Wu, Xiaoyan Sheng, Hua Li

Published in

European geriatric medicine. Nov 02, 2026. Epub Nov 02, 2026.

Abstract

Exercise benefits sleep quality in older adults, yet the effects of different exercise intervention types across various parameters (duration, intensity, frequency, and period) remain unclear. This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of different intervention types across these parameters on sleep quality in older adults, providing an evidence-based basis for formulating scientific exercise prescriptions.
Relevant randomized controlled trials were retrieved from five databases (including Web of Science) up to November 15, 2025. Two researchers independently extracted data. Study quality was assessed using RevMan, and network meta-analysis was conducted via Stata. Publication bias was examined with funnel plots and Egger's test, intervention effects were ranked by SUCRA, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was used to verify result robustness.
A total of 32 randomized controlled trials involving 2,658 participants were included. Network meta-analysis showed that combined exercise (SUCRA=74.8%) may have ranked first, followed by aerobic exercise (65.4%), resistance exercise (64.4%), mind-body exercise (49.7%), and dance (46.1%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the rankings of exercise types might vary according to single-session duration, weekly frequency, intervention period, exercise intensity, and participant characteristics.
Combined exercise may demonstrate the optimal effect on sleep quality improvement in older adults, followed by aerobic exercise and resistance exercise. The intervention efficacy of each exercise type may vary with intervention parameters and participant characteristics rather than remaining fixed. However, these findings should be regarded as provisional. Given the limited number of included studies, these preliminary conclusions require further validation through high-quality research.

PMID:
42970245
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Nov 2026.

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