New research shows value of exercise in promoting good quality sleep
Physical training can make the difference between a good night of restorative sleep or tossing and turning, according to findings published in Sleep Health. While many focus on “sleep hygiene” tips like relaxing before bedtime and avoiding screen time, research shows that daytime activities, like how much you exercise, significantly impact the likelihood of enjoying health-enhancing sleep.
Researchers from University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, analyzed data from 1168 children with 12 years average age, and 1360 adults with 44 years average age; the parents (mostly mothers) of the children.
Researchers evaluated different ways time was used during the day and its link with sleep. Children and adults with more moderate to vigorous physical activity had less troubled sleep, less fatigue from more restorative sleep, and better sleep quality.
“Everyone wants a good night’s sleep,” says lead study author Lisa Matricciani, PhD, lecturer in nursing in the University of South Australia Clinical and Health Sciences department. “If it’s simply a matter of being more active during the day, then it may be a relatively achievable goal for most of us.”
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
