Sleep disturbance is a common complaint that impacts health and quality of life. Chronic sleep disturbances is associated with cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychiatric disorders and increased mortality. Indulging in regular exercise is associated with better health and has been reported to have sleep benefits.
Low levels of physical activity (PA) have been reported to be associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) while engaging in PA not only improves the symptoms of chronic insomnia but also reduces EDS.
A study conducted by Bjornsdottir et al., recently published in the “BMJ”, reported that individuals who were consistently physically active for about 10 years showed less insomnia symptoms. Also, they are more likely to be normal sleepers (6 to 9 hours of sleep per day) (see the Graphic of the study snapshot).
(Source: 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(3):e067197. Doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067197)