Sleep and exercise

A study showed that (1):

• combined aerobic-resistance exercise can improve sleep quality in patients with insomnia as well as increase subjective sleep quality and actual sleep duration, and decrease daytime dysfunction due to sleeping problems

A longitudinal study investigated the relationship between physical activity over a 10-year period and current symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness and estimated sleep duration in adults aged 39–67 years (2):

• compared with persistently non-active subjects (after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and study centre), participants who were persistently active were less likely to report:
  • difficulties initiating sleep (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45–0.78)
  • a short sleep duration of ≤6 hours/night (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59–0.85)
  • a long sleep of ≥9 hours/night (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33–0.84)
  • daytime sleepiness and difficulties maintaining sleep were not related to physical activity status

• study authors concluded that:
  • physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations, both long and short

Reference:

1. Dadgostar H, Basharkhah A, Ghalehbandi MF, Kashaninasab F. An Investigation on the Effect of Exercise on Insomnia Symptoms. Int J Prev Med. 2023 Feb 18;14:16.
2. Bjornsdottir E, Thorarinsdottir EH, Lindberg E, et al Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study BMJ Open 2024;14:e067197. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067197