Tuesday fitness fun fact
TROUBLE SLEEPING? A LITTLE EXERCISE MIGHT HELP
Insomnia may be among the many adverse health conditions that can be treated with increased levels of physical activity, according to an expert on the effects of exercise on sleep presenting at the American College of Sports Medicine's 50th Annual Meeting. Research indicates that exercise has effects similar to sleeping pills, and according to the presenter, indicates that people who have trouble sleeping should increase their daily activity levels.
Shawn D. Youngstedt, Ph.D., a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Diego, offers the results of several recent studies. Although there is little to suggest that exercise effects sleep levels in good sleepers, findings indicate it could lead to better sleeping patterns in those who have trouble sleeping, and should be compared with other options for treating insomnia.
"People should experiment for themselves to see whether exercise promotes better sleep," said Youngstedt. "Sleep-deprived individuals should even try experimenting with different intensities of exercise at different times of the day."
Dr. Youngstedt's findings include:
- Circadian rhythms are the brain's natural way of telling us when to sleep and when to be active. Since exercise promotes shifts in the body clock, it could be a viable method of treating circadian-related sleep problems. Such problems are most associated with individuals whose body clocks are thrown off by work commitments at odd or varying work hours.
- Exercising outdoors may provide added benefit since light exposure has sleep-promoting and anti-depressant effects.
- Even vigorous activity just prior to sleep does not necessarily disturb sleep. Those who have trouble sleeping should experiment with exercise at different times of the day.
