Science Editorial, March 26 (EFE).- Practicing exercise has many health benefits and according to a study, doing it consistently, two or three times a week, for a long period of time now reduces the risk of insomnia. The study was conducted for more than a decade.
This consistent, long-term practice of exercise is also linked to the ability to sleep between six and nine hours each night, says the study published by BMJ Open and signed by Reykjavik University, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, among others. (ISGlobal), Pompeu Fabra University and Galdação-Usansolo Hospital (Vizcaya); These last three, Spanish institutions.
Previous studies have shown that physical activity promotes better quality sleep and can improve symptoms of chronic insomnia, but it was not clear to what extent gender, age, weight (BMI), general physical fitness, General health and type of exercise.
Researchers assessed the frequency, duration and intensity of weekly physical activity and insomnia symptoms, nighttime sleep timing and daytime sleepiness among middle-aged adults in nine European countries.
The study involved 4,399 people (2,085 men and 2,254 women) who answered questions about frequency and duration of physical activity, insomnia symptoms, and duration of night and daytime sleep at the beginning of the study.
People who exercised at least two or more times per week, for 1 hour or more per week, were classified as physically active.
During the ten years of the study, 37% of participants were consistently inactive; 18% became physically active; 20% became inactive; and 25% were continuously active.
The research showed that participants from Norway were most likely to be consistently active, while participants from Spain were most likely to be consistently inactive, followed by participants from Estonia.
Results adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking history and study center indicated that consistently active people were significantly less likely (42%) to have difficulty sleeping.
Additionally, they were 22% less likely to report any insomnia symptoms, and 40% less likely to report two or three insomnia symptoms.
With respect to total nightly sleep and sleep hours, those who were consistently active were significantly more likely to have normal sleep (55%) and significantly less likely to have short sleep (6 hours or less) (29%).
According to the BMJ, the same group had a 52% chance of getting more than 9 hours of sleep.
People who became active during the study were 21% more likely to get normal sleep than those who remained inactive.
The researchers acknowledge that they were unable to objectively evaluate changes in physical activity levels between the two time points and all items were based on subjective questionnaire assessment.
In any case, they write that these results are “consistent with previous studies that have demonstrated the beneficial effects of physical activity on insomnia symptoms, but the current study also shows the importance of consistency in exercise over time”.