Exercising 2-3 times a week linked to lower insomnia risk, finds study

Regular exercise is associated with better overall health, and several studies have suggested that physical activity promotes better quality sleep and may improve symptoms of chronic insomnia, noted the researchers.

To explore this further, the researchers assessed the frequency, duration, and intensity of weekly physical activity and symptoms of insomnia, nightly sleep clocked up, and daytime sleepiness among middle-aged adults from 21 centres in nine European countries. The 4,399 study participants were drawn from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey and answered questions on the frequency and duration of physical activity at baseline and on physical activity, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness.

The results revealed that over the 10 year period, 37% of participants were persistently inactive; 18% became physically active; 20% became inactive; and 25% were persistently active. Persistently active participants were more likely to be men, younger, and to weigh slightly less. They were also less likely to be current smokers and more likely to be currently working. After adjusting for age, sex, weight (BMI), smoking history, and study centre, those who were persistently active were significantly (42%) less likely to find it difficult to fall asleep, 22% less likely to have any symptoms of insomnia, and 40% less likely to report (37% less likely) insomnia symptoms.

The findings suggested that persistently active participants were significantly (55%) more likely to be normal sleepers and significantly less likely (29%) to be short (6 hours or less), and 52% less likely to be long, sleepers (9 hours or more). And those who became active were 21% more likely to be normal sleepers than those who were persistently inactive. As for total nightly hours of sleep and daytime sleepiness, after adjusting the demographics, persistently active participants were most likely to be normal sleepers while the persistently inactive were least likely to be in that category.

“Our results are in line with previous studies that have shown the beneficial effect of [physical activity] on symptoms of insomnia, but the current study additionally shows the importance of consistency in exercising over time, because the association was lost for initially active subjects who became inactive,” concluded the researchers.

Reference: Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study; Journal: BMJ Open; DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067197