The study, published Tuesday, March 26, in the journal BMJ Open, discovered that people looking to get better sleep were 55% more likely to experience a normal cycle of seven to nine hours of sleep a night with consistent exercise. The study found that insomnia symptoms are spotted relatively less in physically active people.
A Recent Study Draws Connection Between Physical Activity And Insomnia Symptoms
According to the researchers, Insomnia and chronic sleep disturbances are associated with metabolic dysfunction, increased mortality, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric disorders.
This isn’t the first time a study has shown the beneficial effect of physical activity on symptoms of insomnia. The results of the study are in line with previous studies that have proven the same. However, the latest observatory study which lasted over 10 years also sheds light on the significance of consistency in exercise over time.
“Though the results are strong on their own, they are also supported by an existing body of literature, remarked Dr. David Neubauer, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioural Sciences and Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Univerity School of Medicine. Though Neubauer was not part of the research, he is also a sleep expert whose opinion is valid in this circumstance.
Consistently exercising 2-3 times a week is shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of insomnia as well as improve the overall health of a person. However, the researchers have not shared any information on whether or not gender, weight, general health, and overall fitness contribute to this association.
To enhance the accuracy of their findings, the researchers assessed the duration, frequency, and intensity of weekly physical activity and daytime sleepiness and symptoms of insomnia among middle-aged adults across 21 centers in nine European countries.
Over the 10-year experimental period, 37% of participants were persistently inactive, 25% were persistently active, 20% were inactive, and 18% were physically active. As per the findings, the persistently active participants were young men with slim bodies. They are less likely to be smokers and hence they come in the bracket of healthy individuals.
The study suggests that those who were persistently active were 42% less likely to find it difficult to fall asleep. 22% of them were deprived of any symptoms of insomnia.
Insomnia symptoms were also independently associated with several factors including weight, female gender, and age. So, after adjusting these factors along with smoking history and study center, persistently active individuals were most likely to be normal sleepers and vice-versa.
The persistently active were 55% more likely to be normal sleepers, 29% likely to be short sleepers (6 hours or less), and 52% likely to be long sleepers (9 hours or more).
“It is important to be physically active throughout your life to cut down the risk of short sleep duration and insomnia,” lead author and sleep researcher at Reykjavik University Dr. Erla Bjornsdottir said in a recent statement.
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He further added that regular exercise is proven to improve the sleep quality as well as the duration of sleep by promoting relaxation, enhancing mood, and reducing stress.” According to Bjornsdottir, physical activity helps maintain the body’s internal clock supporting deeper, restorative sleep, especially if it is done outside.