Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies

Authors, year country	Main characteristics of the studied population	Sample characteristics (sample size, age)	Intervention group comparison group	Sleep outcome measures	Outcomes
Danhauer SC et al. 2009 [54] America	Women (≥18 y) with breast cancer (any stage), 2–24 months post-primary treatment (surgery) following initial diagnosis and/or had a recurrence of breast cancer within the past 24 months	44, G1 = 22, G2 = 22 Mean age: G1 = 54.3 y/o (SD = 9.6), G2 = 57.2 y/o (SD = 10.2)	G1 = Restorative Yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.97)
Chandwani KD et al. 2010 [55] America	Women (≥18 y) with breast cancer (stage 0-stage III) who were scheduled to undergo radiotherapy at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center	61, G1 = 30, G2 = 31 Mean age: G1 = 51.39 y/o (SD = 7.97), G2 = 54.02 y/o (SD = 9.96)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P > 0.05)
Bower JE et al. 2012 [12] America	Post-menopausal women (aged 40–60 y) diagnosed with Stage 0 – II breast cancer; completed local and/or adjuvant cancer therapy (with the exception of hormonal therapy) at least 6 months and experiencing persistent cancer-related fatigue	31, G1 = 16, G2 = 15 Mean age: G1 = 54.4 y/o (SD = 5.7), G2 = 53.3 y/o (SD = 4.9)	G1 = Iyengar Yoga G2 = Control group (health education)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P > 0.05)
Kiecolt-Glaser JK et al. 2014 [56] America	Women (stage 0-IIIa breast cancer survivors in age from 27 to 76 y) had completed cancer treatment within the past 3 years (except for tamoxifen / aromatase inhibitors) and were at least 2 months post surgery or adjuvant therapy or radiation	200, G1 = 100, G2 = 100 Mean age: G1 = 51.8 y/o (SD = 9.8), G2 = 51.3y/o (SD = 8.7)	G1 = Hatha Yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.03)
Ratcliff CG et al. 2016 [57] America	Women (aged ≥18 y) with breast cancer (diagnosed with stage 0 to III) scheduled to undergo daily adjuvant XRT (radiotherapy treatment) for 6 weeks at MD Anderson Cancer Center	163, G1 = 53, G2 = 56, G3 = 54 Mean age: G1 = 52.38 y/o (SD = 1.35), G2 = 51.14 y/o (SD = 1.32), G3 = 52.11 y/o (SD = 1.34)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Stretching G3 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05)
Taylor T R et al. 2018 [71] America	Women (aged 18–65 y), no pregnant, breast cancer survivor of at least 12 months post-surgery and treatment (excluding hormone therapy), free of medical contraindications reported by their physician	33, G1 = 18, G2 = 15 Mean age: G1 = 54.9 y/o (SD = 8.8), G2 = 52.6 y/o (SD = 8.2)	G1 = Restorative yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	ISI	The total score of ISI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.89)
Chaoul A et al. 2018 [58] America	Women (aged ≥18 y) with breast cancer stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM) I to III who were undergoing chemotherapy, were able to read, write and speak English; and were scheduled to undergo neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy (weekly or every 21 days) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	227, G1 = 74, G2 = 68, G3 = 85 Mean age: G1 = 49.5 y/o (SD = 9.80), G2 = 50.4 y/o (SD = 10.3), G3 = 49.0 y/o (SD = 10.1)	G1 = Tibetan Yoga G2 = Stretching group G3 = Control group (Usual care)	PSQI Actigraphy	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G3 (P = 0.32) Actigraphy: Statistically significant finding in sleep efficiency (SE) G1 vs. G3 (P = 0.02), wake after sleep onset (WASO) G1 vs. G3 (P = 0.0003), but no statistically signify finding on sleep onset latency (OL) G1 vs. G3 (P = 0.89), total sleep time (TST) G1 vs. G3 (P = 0.19)
Porter LS et al. 2019 [59] America	Women (aged ≥18y) receiving treatment for metastatic breast cancer had a life expectancy ≥9 months as estimated by their treating oncologist; could speak and read English	63, G1 = 43, G2 = 20 Mean age: G1 = 56.3 y/o (SD = 11.6) G2 = 59.4 y/o (SD = 11.3)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group (social support group)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P > 0.05)
Elavsky S et al. 2007 [60] America	Sedentary or low-active middle-aged women (aged 42–58 y) during the menopausal transition who had no history of surgical menopause and had not used hormone therapy or at least 6 months. Baseline analyses revealed that overall sleep quality was poor in the sample (Mean PSQI = 6.21, SD = 3.46) with 88% of sample scoring	163, G1 = 61, G2 = 63, G3 = 39 Age range:42–58 y/oMean age:49.9 y/o (SD:3.6)	G1 = Yoga G2 = walking G3 = Control group	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05)
Afonso RF et al. 2012 [61] Brazil	Postmenopausal women (aged 50–65 y) with insomnia diagnosed by specialist based on DSM4, amenorrhea for 1 year or longer, had follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ≥ 30 mIU/ml, and had a BMI (Body mass index) < 30 kg/m2	61, G1 = 16, G2 = 21, G3 = 24 Age range:50–65 y/o	G1 = Yoga G2 = Passive stretching G3 = Control group	ISI Polysomnography	The total score of ISI improved: G1 vs. G3 (P < 0.05) Polysomnography: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05)
Newton KM et al. 2014 [62] America	Previous sedentary women (aged 40–62 y) in menopausal transition or postmenopausal or had hysterectomy with FSH ≥ 20 m IU/mL and estradiol ≤50 pg/mL, with ≥14 vasomotor symptoms /week in each of three consecutive weeks and had not used hormone therapy for past 1 month.	249, G1 = 107, G2 = 142 Age range:40–62 y/o	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group (usual activity)	PSQI ISI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.049) The total score of ISI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.007)
Buchanan, D.T. et al. 2017 [63] America	Women (aged 40–62 y) in menopausal transition or postmenopausal or had hysterectomy with FSH ≥ 20 mIU/mL and estradiol ≤50 pg/mL, generally in good health; experiencing 14 or more hot flashes/night sweats per week (on 2-w screening diaries); and hot flashes rated as bothersome or severe on four or more occasions/week	186, G1 = 52, G2 = 54, G3 = 80 Mean age: G1 = 55.3 y/o (SD = 3.9), G2 = 55.6 y/o (SD = 3.5), G3 = 54.2 y/o (SD = 3.7)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Exercise G3 = Control group (usual activity)	Actigraphy	Statistically no significant finding in sleep efficiency (SE) G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05), wake after sleep onset (WASO) G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05), sleep onset latency G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05), total sleep time (TST) G1 vs. G3 (P > 0.05)
Ide MR et al. 2008 [64] Brazil	Women with fibromyalgia syndrome (1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria) with time availability	40, G1 = 20, G2 = 20 Mean age: G1 = 46.61 y/o (SD = 9.80), G2 = 45.47 y/o (SD = 8.65)	G1 = Yoga breathing exercises in warm water G2 = Control group	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.004)
Innes KE et al. 2012 [65] America	Nonsmoking women (aged 45–79 y), post-menopausal (≥12 months amenorrheic) physical inactive (exercising less than 20 min, 3 times per week) and overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and/or waist circumference ≥ 88 cm) with restless legs syndrome	20, G1 = 10, G2 = 10 Mean age: G1 = 58.4 y/o (SD = 6.32), G2 = 58.9 y/o (SD = 9.10)	G1 = Iyengar Yoga G2 = Control group (education film group)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.01)
Cheung C et al. 2014 [66] America	Community-dwelling women (aged 65–90 y) had symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of knee diagnosis for at least 6 months without previous training in any form of yoga	36, G1 = 18, G2 = 18 Mean age: G1 = 71.9 y/o, G2 = 71.9 y/o	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P = 0.15)
Fang R et al. 2015 [67] China	Female nurses (aged of 25–51 y) with normal communication abilities and willingness to participate study	120, G1 = 61, G2 = 59 Mean age: G1 = 35.13 y/o (SD =10.98), G2 = 36.05 y/o (SD = 9.91)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P < 0.001)
Ebrahimi M et al. 2017 [68] Iran	Women (aged 38–53 y) with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus lack of any diabetic complications, no participation in any kind of regular aerobic exercise and resistance training over the last 6 months, BMI < 40 kg/m2, not being under insulin treatment	45, G1 = 15, G2 = 15, G3 = 15 Mean age: G1 = 48.18 y/o, G2 = 44.69 y/o, G3 = 47.93 y/o	G1 = Yoga G2 = Aerobic exercise G3 = Control group	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G3 (P < 0.05)
Rao M et al. 2017 [69] India	Female teachers, aged between 30 and 55 years were willing to participate in the study and had no previous exposure to any form of yoga practice.	60, G1 = 30, G2 = 30 Mean age: G1 = 43.0 y/o (SD = 9.77) G2 = 40.0 y/o (SD = 7.32)	G1 = Yoga-based, mindfulness relaxation G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: G1 vs. G2 (P < 0.01)
Nalgirkar SP et al. 2018 [70] India	Women (aged 20–50 y) and diagnosed for primary dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) with no underlying systemic pathology	30, G1 = 15, G2 = 15 Mean age: G1 = 29.85 y/o (SD =4.45) G2 = 30.85 y/o (SD =4.42)	G1 = Yoga G2 = Control group (wait list control)	PSQI	The total score of PSQI improved: No statistically significant finding G1 vs. G2 (P > 0.05)

BMI Body max index, DSM4 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria, DUB Dysfunctional uterine dysfunction, ECOG-PS Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, FSH Follicle-stimulating hormone, G1 Group 1, G2 Group 2, G3 Group 3, ISI Insomnia Severity Index, OA Osteoarthritis, OL Onset latency, PSQI Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, SE Sleep efficiency, TST Total sleep time, WASO Wake time after sleep onset, XRT Radiotherapy treatment