The thesis has been implemented in the form of a descriptive literature review. The purpose of this thesis was to find out which physiotherapy methods are used in the treatment of insomnia and what kind of effects these methods have on ability of functioning. Insomnia and the physiotherapeutic approach in the treatment of it were chosen as the subjects of the literature review because insomnia and the symptoms of it are a very common and constantly growing phenomenon. The material and the research of this literature review were searched from computer databases as well as manually from literature in the field of physiotherapy. A total of seven studies were chosen based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Active physiotherapy methods came up strongly in the research results. The methods included following different types of therapeutic exercise: endurance training, resistance training, stretching and progressive muscle relaxation. The effects of the interventions of the studies were shown in the ability of functioning especially regarding sleep functions in terms of improving sleep quality and increasing the amount of sleep. The methods had positive impact on psychological factors as well as other bodily functions. In addition, the importance of health education alongside the intervention was highlighted in the treatment of insomnia symptoms. Physiotherapy has an important role in the prevention and treatment of insomnia, and it can be used in it in the form of therapeutic exercise, physiotherapeutic guidance, and counselling.

The research included in the thesis mainly focus on the immediate effects of the methods during and immediately after the interventions. In addition, the interventions are mainly quite short-term, varying from a few days to a few months. In the future, longitudinal studies related to the physiotherapeutic methods and their effects in the treatment of insomnia could be carried out and the interventions could last longer.