Having trouble falling asleep? Turns out skimping on your daily sleep routine could cost you when it comes to your waistline.
According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, people with post traumatic stress disorder who didn’t get enough sleep were more likely to exercise less.
And when you don’t get in enough exercise, you’ll have a hard time staying in shape.
“We found that sleep quality was more strongly associated with physical activity one year later than was having a diagnosis of PTSD,” says Lisa Talbot, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California. “The longitudinal aspect of this study suggests that sleep may influence physical activity.”
Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a condition that often develops after experiencing a traumatic event, such as attempted murder, rape, or kidnapping. While it’s normal to feel alarmed or scared when put in stressful situations, those with PTSD aren’t able to turn this response off–resulting in them staying in a fight-or-flight response even when not placed in a dangerous situation.
Drugs and psychotherapy often help PTSD survivors get better–but what also helps is exercise, which can often lower stress levels.
Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep–a common symptom of PTSD–may prevent people from getting enough exercise in the first place, exacerbating the problem.
What Researchers Found
Gathering data from the Mind Your Heart Study, a study which examined the effects of PTSD on 736 adults from two Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, researchers used the evidence to see how sleep affected their exercise habits.
First, Talbot asked the participants to rate their sleep quality over the past month, along with their rate of physical activity. Then, one year later, she asked them the same questions again. At the end of the study, 258 participants had reoccurring or subsyndromal PTSD.
Comparing the results, she found an interesting correlation: Those who reported their sleep quality was “good” were more physically active.
“This study adds to the literature that shows that better sleep leads to healthier levels of exercise, and previous research has shown that better sleep leads to healthier food choices,” says Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, President of the American Academy of Sleep. “It is clear that healthy sleep is an essential ingredient in the recipe for a healthy life.”
In turn, Talbot suggests that having sleep problems could affect their motivation to exercise more, making it imperative doctors figure out how to improve their ability to sleep.
“The findings also tentatively raise the possibility that sleep problems could affect individuals’ willingness or ability to implement physical activity behavioral interventions,” says Talbot. “Sleep improvements might encourage exercise participation.”
What You Should Do
Having trouble exercising? First, check your sleep patterns: If nodding off to sleep is a hassle, chances are you’ll have trouble making exercise a habit as well. This especially rings true for those with PTSD–something that should be treated first by a medical professional.
Readers: What are some other strategies you use to motivate yourself to exercise?
Source:
Study: PTSD Survivors Who Report “Bad” Sleep Quality Less Likely to Exercise – ScienceDaily.com
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