Background: Sleep is a physiological phenomenon responsible for maintaining the homeostasis of our organism. During ageing, sleep is subject to continuous change. To cope with sleep-related problems, physical activity is a widely recommended strategy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of walking activity and sleep parameters in healthy adults. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed database. Articles published between 2014 and 2024 were selected. Results: Eight studies with a total of 2134 subjects were included. The studies mostly used subjective measures to determine sleep parameters. In individuals with regular walking exercise, significant (p < 0.05) improvements in subjectively and objectively measured sleep quality, percentage of deep sleep, awakening after sleep onset, use of sleep medications and daily functioning were reported . There was an association between higher number of steps, fewer awakenings during the night and shorter naptime. No association was observed with sleep duration, efficiency and latency. Conclusions: Regular walking may reduce the incidence and risk of developing insomnia and improve several sleep parameters. Further research is needed to provide general recommendations for the number of steps to achieve optimal sleep outcomes.
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