Taking a 12–week yoga class and practising at home has been linked to less insomnia – but not to fewer or less bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, according to scientists.

Lead author Katherine Newton, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute, said that many women suffer from insomnia during menopause, and it’s good to know that yoga may help them.

MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) Network randomised controlled trial tried to see if three more "natural" approaches – yoga, exercise, or fish oil – may help ease these menopause symptoms.

The study assigned 249 healthy, previously sedentary women at multiple sites, including Group Health, to do yoga, a moderate aerobic exercise program, or neither – and to take an omega–3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo.

Exercise seemed linked to slightly improved sleep and less insomnia and depression, and yoga also was linked to better sleep quality and less depression – but these effects were not statistically significant.

The omega–3 supplement was not linked to any improvement in hot flashes, night sweats, sleep, or mood.

The findings have been published online in Menopause.