Tai Chi Research » Sleep

Tai chi improves sleep quality in older adults.

David Bendall — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:22:24 +0000

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles randomly assigned 118 older adults with moderate sleep complaints to 16 weeks of tai chi training or health education. Individuals assigned to the tai chi groups were more likely to achieve a treatment response than those in the health education group. Individuals in the tai chi group had significant improvements to sleep quality, efficiency, duration and disturbance. The researchers conclude that tai chi can be considered a useful nonpharmacologic approach to improve sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep complaints.

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Study finds tai chi improved sleep stability in individuals with chronic heart failure.

David Bendall — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:52:39 +0000

Researchers at Harvard Medical School analyzed ECG data from 18 patients with chronic heart failure, 8 of whom were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of tai chi training while the rest were assigned to a control group. Both groups also receive conventional care. The ECG data showed significant differences between the two groups with the tai chi group having signs of increased sleep stability with correlations between improved sleep stability and improved quality of life. The researchers conclude that tai chi may enhance sleep stability in patients with chronic heart failure and that this may have beneficial impacts on blood pressure, arrhythmogenesis and quality of life.

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Tai chi improves sleep quality.

David Bendall — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:24:12 +0000

A study of 118 older adults at the Oregon Research Institute found that tai chi improved sleep quality more than a low-impact exercise control. Participates were randomly assigned to the tai chi or control group. Each group met for one hour, three times a week for 24 weeks. At the end of the program the individuals randomly assigned to take tai chi had significant improvements in sleep quality, sleep-onset latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and sleep disturbances.

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