title: Elevated variance in heart rate during slow-wave sleep after late-night physical activity.
abstract: This study investigates the effect of mild physical activity before bedtime on the sleep pattern and heart rate during the night. Nine healthy subjects underwent a habituation night, a reference night, and a physical induction night. The physical induction night did not alter the sleep pattern. Physical activity before bedtime resulted in higher heart rate variance during slow-wave sleep. The low-frequency/high-frequency component (LF/HF) ratio during slow-wave sleep in the physical induction night was significantly higher than during the reference night. Increased mean heart rate and higher LF/HF ratio are related to decreased parasympathetic dominance. Exercise up to 1 h before bedtime thus seems to modify the quality of sleep.
authors: M3-BIORES, K. U. Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors: Arnoud
authors: A
authors: Bulckaert
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Exadaktylos
authors: Bart
authors: B
authors: Haex
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: De Valck
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Verbraecken
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Berckmans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult