| Reference | Study design | | Study conditions | Age group (range or mean ± SD) | Health condition | EX intervention |
| Aiello et al. (2016) | Meta-analysis | 180 | EX versus control | Adults (32–54) | OSA | AE | RT |
| Alley et al. (2015) | Single group | 24 | EX versus control | YA (18–25) | Healthy | RT |
| Ashrafinia et al. (2014) | Open trial | 80 | EX versus control | YA, adults (18–35) | Postpartum | Pilates |
| Baron et al. (2013) | Single group | 11 | EX versus control | OA (≥55) | Insomnia | AE |
| Brand et al. (2014) | Observational | 52 | Moderate versus vigorous EX | YA (19.70 ± 0.30) | Athletes | Various sports |
| Chen et al. (2017) | Observational | 12728 | Different levels of physical activity and smoking | YA, adults, OA (18–≥65) | Healthy, smokers | Various |
| Dishman et al. (2015) | Observational | 8523 | Different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness | YA, adults, OA (20–85) | Healthy | AE () |
| Du et al. (2015) | Meta-analysis | 460 | EX versus control | OA (65–75) | Healthy | Tai chi | SC |
| Durcan et al. (2014) | RCT | 78 | EX versus control | Adults, OA (59 ± 12) | RA | AE | RT |
| Dzierzewski et al. (2014) | Single group | 79 | EX versus control | Adults, OA (63.58 ± 8.66) | Healthy | — |
| Erlacher et al. (2015) | Open trial | 98 | EX versus control | YA, adults, OA (22–77) | SC | AE |
| Fairbrother et al. (2014) | Single group | 20 | EX during different times of day | Adults (30–60) | Prehypertension | AE |
| Gambassi et al. (2015) | Open trial | 16 | EX versus control | OA (65 ± 3) | Healthy | RT |
| Harp (2015) | Single group | 2027 | Pre- versus post-EX | YA (21.8 ± 5.0) | Healthy | AE |
| Harris et al. (2017) | Observational | 74 | Athletes versus controls | Adolescents (16.7 ± 0.72) | Healthy, athletes | Various |
| Iftikhar et al. (2014) | Meta-analysis | 129 | EX versus control | Adults (49.1 ± 8.5) | OSA | AE, RT |
| Killer et al. (2015) | Single group | 13 | Pre- and post-EX | YA (25 ± 6) | Athletes | — |
| Kredlow et al. (2015) | Meta-analysis | 2863 | Acute EX versus control | YA, adults, OA (18.3–88.5) | Healthy, athletes, SC | AE, RT | Chronic EX versus control | YA, adults, OA (18.3–88.5) | Healthy, SC | AE, Tai chi, Yoga |
| Lang et al. (2016) | Meta-analysis | 16549 | High versus low EX versus control | Adolescents, YA (14–24) | Healthy, athletes | — |
| Løppenthin et al. (2014) | RCT | 44 | EX versus control | YA, adults, OA (18–70) | RA | AE |
| Melancon et al. (2015) | Single group | 13 | EX versus control | Adults, OA (57–70) | Healthy | AE |
| Mendelson et al. (2016) | Open trial | 40 | EX versus control | Adolescents (14.5 ± 1.5) | Obese, healthy | AE, RT |
| Nam et al. (2016) | Open trial | 77 | Diet + EX versus diet alone | Adults, OA (35–65) | Type 2 diabetes | — |
| Rethorst et al. (2015) | Open trial | 126 | High versus low EX | YA, adults, OA (18–70) | Major depression | AE |
| Siddarth et al. (2014) | Observational | 42 | Mind-body EX versus AE | Adults, OA (64.6 ± 13.6) | Healthy | Yoga, Tai chi, AE |
| Strand et al. (2013) | Observational | 3489 | Different levels of cardiorespiratory fitness | Adults, OA (51.9 ± 12.4) | Healthy | AE () |
| Suppiah et al. (2015) | Observational | 11 | Low- versus high-intensity EX versus control | Adolescents (14.8 ± 0.9) | Athletes | Bowling (low intensity), badminton (high intensity) |
| Suppiah et al. (2016) | Observational | 29 | Low- versus high-intensity EX versus control | Adolescents (14.7 ± 1.3) | Athletes | Shooting (low intensity), sprinters (high intensity) |
| Vincent et al. (2017) | Single group | 65 | Different levels of physical activity | Children (8–11) | Healthy | Various |
| Wang and Youngstedt (2014) | Single group | 15 | Light versus moderate EX versus control | Adults, OA (60–74) | Healthy | AE |
| Wennman et al. (2014) | Observational | 6414 | Leisure versus commuting versus occupational EX versus control | YA, adults, OA (25–74) | Healthy | Various |
| Williams et al. (2014) | Observational | 234 | Light versus moderate-vigorous EX versus control | Children (3–7) | Healthy | Various |
| Yamanaka et al. (2015) | Single group | 22 | Morning versus evening EX versus control | YA (22 ± 1.8) | Healthy | AE |
| Zheng et al. (2017) | Observational | 452024 | Different levels of physical activity | Adults, OA (30–79) | Healthy | Various |
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| Reference | Volume/frequency | Duration | Sleep characteristics assessed | Outcome measure | Result |
| Aiello et al. (2016) | 30–150 min/day, 2–7 days/week | 2–6 months | DS | ESS | Decrease | — | — | Nocturnal hypopnea | AHI | Decrease |
| Alley et al. (2015) | 30 min/day | 3 days | TW | sEEG | Decrease |
| Ashrafinia et al. (2014) | 30 min/day, 5 days/week | 8 weeks | SQ | PSQI | Increase | SOL | PSQI | Decrease |
| Baron et al. (2013) | 30 min/day, 3 days/week | 16 weeks | SQ, SOL, WASO | PSQI, WA | No change | TST, SE | WA | Increase |
| Brand et al. (2014) | ≥70 min/day, 2-3 days/week | — | Amount of deep sleep | sEEG | Increase | SOL, TW, WASO | sEEG | Decrease |
| Chen et al. (2017) | Self-reported | 2 weeks | Insomnia | ICD-9-CM codes | More active decreased risk |
| Dishman et al. (2015) | Tested once/2-3 years, 4 times | 8–12 years | Sleep disturbances | Medical consultation | More fit decrease |
| Du et al. (2015) | 20–60 min/day, 2–5 days/week | 8–26 weeks | SQ, TST | PSQI | Increase | SOL, DS | ESS, PSQI | Decrease |
| Durcan et al. (2014) | 30–60 min/day, 5 days/week | 12 weeks | SQ | PSQI | Increase | 2-3 days/week | Fatigue | FSS | Decrease |
| Dzierzewski et al. (2014) | 20 min/day | 18 weeks | SQ | Sleep diary | Increase | SOL | Sleep diary | No change | WASO | Sleep diary | Decrease |
| Erlacher et al. (2015) | 60 min/day, 3 days/week | 6 weeks | TW, WASO | PSQI | Decrease | SOL, TST | PSQI | No change |
| Fairbrother et al. (2014) | 30 min/day | 4 days | TST | sEEG | No change | TW, SOL, WASO | sEEG | Lowest during AM EX |
| Gambassi et al. (2015) | 2 days/week | 12 weeks | SQ, SE | PSQI | Increase | SOL, TST, DS | PSQI | No change |
| Harp (2015) | 30 min/day, 3 days/week | 15 weeks | SQ, TST | PSQI | No change |
| Harris et al. (2017) | Self-reported | 1 week | SQ, WASO | Sleep diary | No difference | SOL | Lower for athletes on weekends only | SE | Higher for athletes on weekends only | TST | Higher for athletes on weekends only |
| Iftikhar et al. (2014) | 15–90 min/day, 3–5 days/week | 12–24 weeks | DS | ESS | Decrease | Nocturnal hypopnea | AHI | Decrease | SE | ESS | Increase |
| Killer et al. (2015) | ≥2 hours/day, ≥3 days/week | 18 days | TW | WA | Increase | SQ, SE | WA | Decrease | SOL | WA | No change |
| Kredlow et al. (2015) | 1 session/day | 1 day | TST, SE | PSQI, sEEG, PSG | Increase | TW | PSQI, sEEG, PSG | No change | SOL, WASO | PSQI, sEEG, PSG | Decrease | — | 2–52 weeks | SQ, TST, SE | PSQI, sEEG, PSG, WA | Increase | SOL | PSQI | Decrease |
| Lang et al. (2016) | — | 1–105 days | SQ, SE | PSQI, sEEG, Sleep logs | Increase | Insomnia | ISI | Decrease |
| Løppenthin et al. (2014) | 20–30 min/day, 2-3 days/week | 8 weeks | SQ, TST, SOL | PSG, PSQI | In progress | DS | ESS | In progress |
| Melancon et al. (2015) | 1 hour/day, 3 days/week | 16 weeks | WASO | PSG, PSQI | Decrease | SQ, SOL, TST, SE | PSG, PSQI | No change |
| Mendelson et al. (2016) | 180 minutes/week | 12 weeks | SQ, TST, SE | PSG | Increase | SOL | PSG | No change |
| Nam et al. (2016) | 3 days/week | 6 months | Sleep disturbances | JHSS | Decrease in both groups |
| Rethorst et al. (2015) | 4 KKW | 12 weeks | SQ | IDS-C | Increase | 16 KKW |
| Siddarth et al. (2014) | 1 hour/day, 1-2 days/week | — | Sleep disturbances | PROMIS-SDSF | Fewer in mind-body group |
| Strand et al. (2013) | Tested once | — | Insomnia | HUNT-3 questionnaire | More fit decrease |
| Suppiah et al. (2015) | 16 hours/week | 1 week | DS | KSS, PDSS | No difference | TST | WA | Greater during control | WASO | sEEG | Lower in high group | TST | sEEG | No difference |
| Suppiah et al. (2016) | 16 hours/week | 1 week | TST, WASO | sEEG | No difference | TW, TST, WASO | WA | Greater during control | SE | WA | No change |
| Vincent et al. (2017) | Various | 8 days | TST, SE | TA | No change |
| Wang and Youngstedt (2014) | ~1 hour/week | 2 weeks | TW, WASO | WA | Lower in moderate group | TST | WA | No change |
| Wennman et al. (2014) | Various | — | SQ, TST | Questionnaires | Greatest in those with high leisure EX |
| Williams et al. (2014) | Data collected for ≥5 days every 6 months | 4 years | TST | Sleep log | More active decrease |
| Yamanaka et al. (2015) | 2 hours/day, 4 days/week | 1 week | SOL, WASO, TST, SE | PSG | No change |
| Zheng et al. (2017) | Self-reported | 1 year | Insomnia | Questionnaires | More active decreased risk |
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