For older women, insomnia is a huge concern–but instead of relying on sleeping pills to get you through the night, researchers say you’re better off exercising.
But it’s when you exercise that matters most, say researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
“It’s like doing a brisk walk,” says Anne McTiernan, researcher of the study. “Nobody is saying people have to be athletes and do marathons.”
The Study in Detail
Working on a study examining the effects of exercise on sleep quality, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington recruited 173 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 to 75, who were described as being “overweight or obese.” Researchers then split them into two groups: An exercise program group and a stretching program group.
For the next year, researchers followed them as they were instructed to keep up with either their stretching or exercise habits–for exercisers, that meant 45 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week during the morning.
After a year had passed, researchers then compared their exercise habits against their ability to get a good night’s sleep–including if they used alcohol or sleep aids.
Interestingly enough, those who exercised experienced 70 percent improved sleep quality compared to women who simply stretched–for them, they only saw a small 30 percent improvement.
The biggest improvements were seen in those who exercised in the morning, however.
“We found that subjects in both intervention groups reported some improvements in sleep quality, although the nature of the improvement differed between groups,” says the study’s researchers in a written statement. “We found that subjects in both intervention groups reported some improvements in sleep quality, although the nature of the improvement differed between groups.”
As for the reasons why morning exercise may help women overcome insomnia, researchers aren’t sure–but they have a theory.
“One possible explanation for this disparity is that morning versus evening exercise may differentially modulate circadian rhythms that affect sleep quality,” say researchers. “Evening exercises did not show similar improvements with having trouble falling asleep as did morning exercisers, such that the evening exercisers who exercised the most had an increased risk of reporting having trouble falling asleep.”
As a conclusion, researchers say that moderate intensity exercise may be key for improving sleep quality in postmenopausal women, but only if performed during the morning. Exercising at any other time during the day could possibly interrupt a woman’s natural circadian rhythm, according to researchers.
So What Should You Do?
If you’re struggling to fall asleep due to changing hormones, stress, or just plain bad luck, then the research couldn’t be clearer–exercising in the morning could ward off insomnia for good.
As for how much you need, you needn’t go overboard here: 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise helped these women experienced improved sleep quality. For you, that means a short walk around the neighborhood or on the treadmill–exercises that aren’t terribly difficult to do.
Readers: Does exercise help you fall asleep?
Sources:
Study: Morning Exercise Improves Sleep – JournalSleep.org
Why Exercise Improves Insomnia – NBCNews.com
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