title: Daily morning running for 3 weeks improved sleep and psychological functioning in healthy adolescents compared with controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare sleep electroencephalographic patterns and psychological functioning of healthy adolescents running regularly in the mornings with those of control subjects. Although several studies have shown that regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise is related to favorable sleep and psychological functioning in adolescents, research on the effectiveness of short interventions is more limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one adolescents (mean age = 18.30 years; 27 female [53%]) took part in the study; they were randomly assigned either to a running or to a control group. The running group went running every morning for 30 minutes at moderate intensity during weekdays for 3 consecutive weeks. Sleep electroencephalographic patterns and psychological functioning were assessed in both groups before and after the 3-week period. All participants also kept a sleep log for 3 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objective sleep improved (slow-wave sleep increased; sleep onset latency decreased) in the running group compared with the control group. Subjective sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day improved, whereas sleepiness during the day decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thirty minutes of running in the morning during weekdays for 3 consecutive weeks impacted positively on sleep and psychological functioning in healthy adolescents compared with control subjects. Running is inexpensive and easy to implement during school schedules, and as both objective and subjective improvements were observed within 3 weeks, regular physical exercise should be promoted.
authors.affiliation: Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalak
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Roumen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kirov
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikoteit
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yordanova
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pühse
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D013557:Switzerland