Effects of moderate-intensity exercise on polysomnographic and subjective sleep quality in older adults with mild to moderate sleep complaints.
BACKGROUND
This study sought to determine the 12-month effects of exercise increases on objective and subjective sleep quality in initially inactive older persons with mild to moderate sleep complaints.


METHODS
A nonclinical sample of underactive adults 55 years old or older (n=66) with mild to moderate chronic sleep complaints were randomly assigned to a 12-month program of primarily moderate-intensity endurance exercise (n=36) or a health education control program (n=30). The main outcome measure was polysomnographic sleep recordings, with additional measures of subjective sleep quality, physical activity, and physical fitness. Directional hypotheses were tested.


RESULTS
Using intent-to-treat methods, at 12 months exercisers, relative to controls, spent significantly less time in polysomnographically measured Stage 1 sleep (between-arm difference=2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-4.0; p=003), spent more time in Stage 2 sleep (between-arm difference=3.2, 95% CI, 0.6-5.7; p=.04), and had fewer awakenings during the first third of the sleep period (between-arm difference=1.0, 95% CI, 0.39-1.55; p=.03). Exercisers also reported greater 12-month improvements relative to controls in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) sleep disturbance subscale score (p=.009), sleep diary-based minutes to fall asleep (p=.01), and feeling more rested in the morning (p=.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with general health education, a 12-month moderate-intensity exercise program that met current physical activity recommendations for older adults improved some objective and subjective dimensions of sleep to a modest degree. The results suggest additional areas for investigation in this understudied area.
Department of Health Research & Policy, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, SPRC, 211 Quarry Rd., Room N229, Stanford, CA 94305-5705, USA. king@stanford.edu
Abby C
AC
King
Leslie A
LA
Pruitt
Sandra
S
Woo
Cynthia M
CM
Castro
David K
DK
Ahn
Michael V
MV
Vitiello
Steven H
SH
Woodward
Donald L
DL
Bliwise
D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*