Regular exercise is associated with less insomnia, research shows CNN

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Tired of a restless night spent awake? One of the most useful things you can do can be exercise, according to a new study.

People who are physically active have a lower risk of having symptoms of insomnia and excessive sleep, both long and short, said lead study author Dr. Erla Bjrnsdttir, sleep specialist. and a lecturer and part-time researcher at the University of Reykjavik.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Open, looked at data from more than 4,300 people aged 39 to 67 over 10 years.

Bjrnsdttir is affiliated with a sleep app that tracks sleep and provides tips and resources for better sleep. The company did not sponsor this study, and the authors did not report any competing interests.

Participants in nine European countries were surveyed about their frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity as well as their insomnia symptoms, average sleep per night and feelings of daytime sleepiness.

Those who were persistently active were 55% more likely to be regular sleepers than those who slept 6 to 9 hours a night and those who were active over a period of time were 21% more likely to sleep normally after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index. (BMI) and smoking history, says the study.

The results are strong in their own right but are also supported by the existing body of literature, said Dr. David Neubauer, an associate professor in the department of psychology and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was not participating in the research.

Our results are consistent with previous studies that have shown a beneficial effect of exercise on insomnia symptoms, but the current study shows the importance of consistency in exercise over time, Bjrnsdttir said in an email. It is therefore important to be physically active throughout your life to reduce the risk of insomnia and short sleep duration.

This research may provide health professionals with another tool that complements medicine and treatment, said Dr. Shalini Paruthi, director of the Sleep Medicine and Research Center at St. Lukes in Chesterfield, Missouri, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was not involved in the research.

It gives us an idea of ​​something that maybe we don’t always think about in order to treat insomnia, says Paruthi.

There are many reasons why exercise can help you get a good night’s rest.

Exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration by promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving mood. Exercise helps regulate the body’s internal clock and promotes deeper, more restorative sleep, says Bjrnsdttir.

The study doesn’t automatically show that adding exercise will reduce insomnia symptoms, because it didn’t find a clear baseline for sleep quality before the activity was added, Neubauer said.

However, there is still good evidence out there.

There is some literature suggesting that people who become physically active and exercise more tend to get a better night’s sleep in terms of their total sleep time, as well as their ability to sleep, he said.

It’s important to note, however, that people who have had insomnia for a long time are unlikely to find that exercise completely cures their condition on its own, Paruthi added.

And it will vary from person to person, some people will see dramatic results, others moderate and a group of people may not see any improvement, she said.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the most effective tool out there for treating insomnia, so people with serious sleep problems may want that as well, Paruthi added.

You don’t have to start running marathons to make a profit. You just have to start, experts say.

Even moderate exercise, such as walking or yoga, can have important positive effects on sleep, says Bjrnsdttir.

Paruthi has seen from her patients that there are always roadblocks to becoming more active, but that any amount helps.

Even if you can only go two houses to the left, come back and go two houses to the right is a good start, she said. Even if you do five minutes a day, you have to start somewhere.

If you want to make your exercise more beneficial to your circadian rhythm, you can go outside in the sun, says Neubauer.

Both being outdoors and being physically active can have a positive effect on our circadian rhythm. And it’s our circadian rhythm that promotes sleep at night and vigilance during the day, he said.

The extent to which people can change their lifestyles to improve activity and being outdoors and get more light certainly has the potential to have a positive effect on a good night’s sleep.