Meta‐analysis: Exercise intervention for sleep problems in cancer patients

Background Sleep problems cause physical and mental distress and may influence the survival of cancer patients. Objectives This study aimed to explore the efficacy of exercise intervention to improve sleep in cancer patients. Methods Published papers from 1980 to 2018 were searched. Results The major findings included (a) exercise intervention had small positive effects on enhancing total subjective sleep quality (TSSQ; g = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.21–0.54) and objective sleep onset latency (g = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.01–0.41). (b) The characteristics in subgroups in regarding the small to large effects of an exercise programme on sleep were identified. First, the groups of a home-based exercise and a supervised exercise combined with a home-based exercise had a medium effect on TSSQ than the usual group. Second, interventions with aerobic exercise, especially the 4- to 8-week programmes and those with weekly volume of 80–149 min per week for cancer patients with ongoing or completed treatment also had a medium to large positive effect on TSSQ. Finally, patients with breast cancer and haematologic malignancies contributed a small effect in this meta-analysis. Conclusions Maintaining regular aerobic exercises, even of different durations and weekly volumes, benefits patient sleep quality.