Qi Gong & Sleep: What the Studies Say (2020–2025)
If you’re lying awake at 3am wondering whether yet another “natural sleep hack” is worth your energy, you’re not alone. Qi Gong has a long history as a calming, meditative movement practice – but what does modern research between 2020 and 2025 actually say about sleep?
This page gives you a plain-English tour of the evidence so you can set realistic expectations, stay safe, and decide whether Qi Gong deserves a place in your wind-down routine.
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Why a sleep evidence hub at all?
Qi Gong is traditionally framed in terms of Qi, meridians and organ systems. That language can be beautiful and meaningful, but if you’re dealing with insomnia or broken sleep, you may also want to know:
Has anyone tested this in proper clinical trials?
Who was studied – people like me?
How big were the changes, realistically?
Over the last few years, researchers have been catching up. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses now pull together randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of Health Qigong and Baduanjin for sleep quality, in both healthy adults and people with chronic conditions. (ScienceDirect)
This hub does not turn Qi Gong into a medical treatment or a replacement for CBT-I (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia), which remains the gold-standard first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in the UK. (CKS)
Think of it instead as a gentle, body-based companion you can use alongside proper medical care.
What do the Qi Gong sleep studies actually look like?
Across 2020–2025, most sleep-focused Qi Gong studies share some common patterns:
The practices
Often use Health Qigong sets or Baduanjin (Eight Brocades) – simple, repetitious movements with coordinated breathing.
Some trials use standing forms; others adapt to seated or simplified programmes for people with limited mobility. (ScienceDirect)
The people
Older adults with general insomnia or poor sleep.
People with chronic conditions: fibromyalgia, cancer-related fatigue, chronic fatigue/post-COVID, and postmenopausal women with anxiety and low mood. (MDPI)
The programmes
Typically 2–5 sessions per week, 20–40 minutes, for 8–12 weeks.
Some are in-person group classes; newer studies include online Qigong courses delivered over about three months. (Integrative Medicine)
How results are measured
Most use the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) – a standard questionnaire for overall sleep quality.
Some also use insomnia severity scales, actigraphy, or quality-of-life scores.
So, when you see “Qi Gong improved sleep” in a paper, it usually means: people did a simple routine several times a week for a couple of months and reported better sleep on validated questionnaires compared with a control group.
Headline results from 2020–2025
1. Health Qigong & Baduanjin: consistent PSQI improvements
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of Health Qigong RCTs concluded that Qi Gong is beneficial for improving sleep quality in adults, both with and without diagnosed conditions. (ScienceDirect)
A broader 2023 systematic review of traditional Chinese exercises (Tai Chi, Qigong, related forms) found that these practices, as a group, improve sleep quality compared with control conditions, though studies vary in quality and design. (PubMed)
In plain language:
People who practised Health Qigong or Baduanjin several times a week for a couple of months slept better overall than those who did nothing or just had usual care.
2. Postmenopausal women: sleep and mood gains
A notable randomised controlled trial in Spanish postmenopausal women used a 12-week Baduanjin-based programme. Compared with controls, the Qigong group showed: (PubMed)
Better overall sleep quality (lower PSQI scores).
Improvements in sleep latency, duration and efficiency.
Reduced anxiety and depression scores.
These women were not super-athletes – they were typical postmenopausal adults, which makes the findings more relatable for many readers.
3. Chronic pain, fibromyalgia and fatigue
Studies in fibromyalgia and other chronic pain/fatigue conditions report that adding Baduanjin or similar Qi Gong sets can: (ehj.ssu.ac.ir)
Improve self-reported sleep quality.
Reduce daytime dysfunction more than walking in some trials.
Ease fatigue and low mood in chronic fatigue and post-COVID populations (often as part of a mind–body mix with Tai Chi and yoga).
Results are promising, but researchers consistently remind us that sample sizes are small and methods vary.
4. Online Qigong courses: early but encouraging
A 2025 study on a 3-month online Qigong course found improvements in: (Integrative Medicine)
Sleep quality
Stress and anxiety
Overall quality of life
The authors call Qigong “potentially useful” but emphasise the need for larger, multi-centre trials. This is sensible — it’s a green light to experiment gently, not a guarantee.
Join Bright Beings Academy while you build your evidence-informed routine
Reading research is one thing. Actually doing a 10–20 minute calming routine three or four evenings a week is where the magic happens.
If you’d like structure, community energy and gentle guidance while you explore how Qi Gong affects your own sleep, here’s how Bright Beings Academy can support you:
How strong is the evidence?
In evidence language, Qi Gong for sleep currently sits in the “promising and low-risk, but not definitive” category.
Strengths:
Multiple RCTs and several systematic reviews/meta-analyses report improvements in sleep quality for adults, including those with chronic conditions. (ScienceDirect)
Qi Gong routines are gentle, accessible and can be adapted to low energy or limited mobility.
Side effects are rare; most people report feeling calmer and more relaxed.
Limitations:
Many studies are small, short-term and from limited regions.
Control groups differ (wait-list, usual care, light stretching, walking), which makes it hard to compare effect sizes precisely.
There can be publication bias – positive studies are more likely to be published.
So, based on 2020–2025 data, it’s fair to say:
Qi Gong is evidence-supported as a gentle option to help sleep for some people, especially when practised regularly – but it is not a stand-alone cure for chronic insomnia.
What does this mean for your own practice?
Translating trial designs into real life, a realistic starting point looks like:
Duration: 10–20 minutes per session.
Frequency: 3–5 times per week.
Time frame: Commit for at least 8 weeks before you judge the effect.
Style: Gentle, repeatable movements with relaxed, slow breathing – no straining, no heroic postures.
In the UK, guidelines emphasise that CBT-I is the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, with digital CBT-I tools like Sleepio recommended as cost-saving options in primary care. (CKS)
Qi Gong can sit alongside this as:
A body-based way to down-regulate your nervous system in the evening.
A practical tool for people who find it hard to sit still and meditate.
A gentle way to reconnect with your body if anxiety or trauma has made that feel difficult.
If your sleep has been poor for more than three months, or you suspect sleep apnoea, restless legs or other medical issues, it’s important to talk to your GP or a sleep specialist as well.
Is Qi Gong right for every type of insomnia?
Not all sleep problems are the same.
Qi Gong is most likely to help when your insomnia is linked to:
Chronic stress and hyperarousal (mind won’t switch off).
Anxiety, low mood or chronic pain that leaves you wired and tired.
A sense of disconnection from your body after burnout, illness or trauma.
It’s less likely to be enough on its own if you have:
Significant breathing pauses or loud snoring (possible sleep apnoea).
Severe restless legs or periodic limb movements.
Complex medical or psychiatric conditions that also disturb sleep.
In those situations, Qi Gong can still be a supportive practice, but it should sit inside a wider plan agreed with your healthcare team.
Bring the research to life in your evenings
You don’t have to navigate all this alone.
If you’d like to turn “Qi Gong & Sleep: What the Studies Say (2020–2025)” into a calm, realistic routine that fits your life, join Bright Beings Academy and explore the Tteuda membership. You’ll get gentle guidance, live support and a library of soft evening practices you can repeat on the nights you need them most.
FAQs: Qi Gong & Sleep – What the Studies Say (2020–2025)
1. Is Qi Gong scientifically proven to “cure” insomnia?
No. The studies summarised in Qi Gong & Sleep: What the Studies Say (2020–2025) show improvements in sleep quality and insomnia severity, not guaranteed cures. Many trials report better PSQI scores and less severe insomnia compared with control groups, but the evidence is still moderate in quality and effects are usually modest, not miraculous. (ScienceDirect)
2. How long do I need to practise before I might notice a difference?
Most trials run for 8–12 weeks with several short sessions each week. Some people feel calmer and sleepier after a few sessions; for others, improvements build slowly over weeks. As a rule of thumb, give yourself at least two months of regular practice (10–20 minutes, 3–5 times per week) before deciding whether Qi Gong is helping your sleep.
3. Can I use Qi Gong instead of CBT-I, Sleepio or medication?
In the UK, CBT-I is recommended as first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, with digital CBT-I tools like Sleepio endorsed as cost-effective options in primary care. (CKS)
Qi Gong is best seen as a complement, not a replacement – especially if your insomnia is long-standing, severe, or linked to other mental health conditions. Always talk to your GP before changing medications or stopping other treatments.
4. Is evening the best time to do Qi Gong for sleep?
Most people find that gentle Qi Gong in the late afternoon or evening fits best with their nervous system – it becomes part of a wind-down ritual. That said, some trials schedule daytime sessions and still see benefits, likely because regular practice reduces overall stress and hyperarousal. You can experiment with timing, but avoid very stimulating or intense practice close to bedtime.
5. Is Qi Gong safe if I have chronic pain, Long-COVID or cancer-related fatigue?
Many studies included people with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and cancer-related fatigue, often adapting routines to seated or simplified versions. These trials generally found improvements in sleep and fatigue, with very low rates of adverse events. (MDPI)
However, it’s still important to:
Get clearance from your GP or specialist.
Start very gently and listen to your body.
Stop if you feel dizzy, breathless or unwell and seek medical advice.
Further reading
If you’d like to go deeper into practice and the broader science, these Bright Beings Academy articles are a natural next step:
Morning vs Evening Qi Gong: Choose by Your State
I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)
