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Physical Exercise and Sleep

Did you Know?

  • “The inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep increases with age…” (Yang et al., 2012)

    • This causes fatigue and daytime sleepiness

      • Impacts quality of life and ability to concentrate (Yang et al., 2012) 

  • Effective medications for insomnia exist but there are potential negative side effects including cognitive impairment (Yang et al. 2012)

    • This particular study adds “regular aerobic or resistance exercise training significantly improves sleep quality in adults over 40 years of age” (Yang et al., 2012)

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Things to Consider from an Athletic Perspective

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  • Sleep loss is common for athletes before a competition (Fullagar et al., 2015)

    • This can impact their athletic performance in a negative way 

  • Both coaches and athletes place a high importance on sleep since it is an essential part of recovery (Fullagar et al., 2015)

  • “The effects of sleep loss on physiological responses to exercise could potentially hinder muscular recovery and lead to a reduction in immune defense…” (Fullagar et al., 2015)

    • Note that this is still speculative

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More Things to Consider:

  • Exercise can have moderately positive effects for those struggling with sleep problems

    • Could be used as “a complementary approach to existing therapies for sleep problems” (Yang et al., 2012)

    • This can be beneficial for those who don’t want to take certain medications due to negative side effects

  • “Regular physical activity enhances overall sleep quality, but the effects of acute exercise on sleep are not well defined” (Myllymaki et al., 2011)

  • “It seems that recovery during sleep is a complicated phenomenon where various physiological and psychological aspects should be acknowledged…” (Myllymaki et al., 2011) 

    • This can include our heart rate, muscle recovery, and brain functioning while sleeping

  • There is still more studies that can be conducted to further investigate aspects of physical exercise and sleep

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Running in Park

References

Fullagar, H. H. K., Skorski, S., Duffield, R., Hammes, D., Coutts, A. J., & Meyer, T. (2015). Sleep and athletic performance: The effects of sleep loss on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise. Sports Medicine, 45(2), 161-186. Retrieved from https://www.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/sleep-athletic-performance-effects-loss-on/docview/1666285540/se-2

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Myllymäki, Kyröläinen, H., Savolainen, K., Hokka, L., Jakonen, R., Juuti, T., Martinmäki, K., Kaartinen, J., Kinnunen, M., & Rusko, H. (2011). Effects of vigorous late‐night exercise on sleep quality and cardiac autonomic activity. Journal of Sleep Research, 20(1pt2), 146–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00874.x

 

Yang, Ho, K.-H., Chen, H.-C., & Chien, M.-Y. (2012). Exercise training improves sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults with sleep problems: a systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy, 58(3), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1836-9553(12)70106-6

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