# Lifestyle intervention to improve sleep quality in Chinese college students: a systematic review

## TL;DR

This review finds that lifestyle changes like exercise and stress management improve sleep in Chinese college students.

## Contribution

The study systematically evaluates lifestyle interventions for sleep quality in Chinese college students.

## Key findings

- Lifestyle interventions significantly improve sleep quality compared to no or single interventions.
- Common effective elements include physical activity, stress management, and sleep hygiene education.
- Improvements were observed in sleep disorders and daytime dysfunction.

## Abstract

Sleep quality is a critical determinant of academic performance and overall health among college students. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the impact of lifestyle interventions on sleep quality among Chinese college students.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in four databases including CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The review time is from the establishment of the above database to January 2026. Studies were included if they reported on lifestyle interventions and assessed sleep quality using validated measures in Chinese college students. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

The search yielded 3993 records, and 16 studies were finally included. The interventions varied in composition but commonly included elements such as physical activity, stress management, and sleep hygiene education. Despite methodological heterogeneity, the collective findings suggest that lifestyle interventions significantly improve sleep quality compared to single or no interventions.

In summary, the lifestyle intervention has a comprehensive and positive impact on the sleep quality of Chinese college students, especially in improving sleep quality, sleep disorders, and daytime dysfunction.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/myprospero, identifier CRD42024546680.