Review of the Taichi effect on sleep disorder

This study aims to review the effects of Taijiquan on sleep disorder through previously published papers. A review of the related literature shows that domestic research on Taijiquan and sleep disorder is still insufficient, and that further Taijiquan studies with more careful management and design are needed. Taijiquan is a traditional martial art that controls the mind through the body. Accordingly, research on Taijiquan mainly concerns the health of the body, the health of the mind (emotion), or its efficacy for mind-body function, while papers addressing a specific topic such as sleep disorder remain limited. Insufficient sleep affects both body and mind, lowering work efficiency and quality of life. Chronic sleep disorder was initially treated with drug therapy, but concerns over drug resistance and side effects have recently drawn attention to non-drug therapies. Various forms of exercise, including Taijiquan, can be regarded as non-drug therapies, since bodily movement affects psychological and emotional states as well as physical fitness. However, studies on the same subject sometimes report different results, which is why meta-analyses on Taijiquan and sleep disorder, as well as on exercise therapy and sleep disorder, have come to the fore. Yet in order to establish the distinctiveness of Taijiquan’s effect, careful management and inspection are required from the design stage of research onward, including the Taijiquan style used, instructional guidelines, and the duration set for the target group.