Abstract: Non medication treatment， especially cognitivebehavioral therapy has been widely used in the clinical management of insomnia. In recent year， exercise training has been proposed as a lowcost， easily accessible and nonpharmacologic treatment alternative. The review will discuss the potential mechanisms by which exercise could promote sleep in chronic insomnia， and identify studies on the effect of physical activity on chronic insomnia to provide evidences for the treatment of insomniac patients.

Key words: insomnia, exercise therapy