title: High self-perceived exercise exertion before bedtime is associated with greater objectively assessed sleep efficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between self-perceived exercise exertion before bedtime and objectively measured sleep.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two regularly exercising young adults (mean age, 19.70 years; 54% females) underwent sleep electroencephalographic recordings 1.5 h after completing moderate to vigorous exercise in the evening. Before sleeping, participants answered questions regarding degree of exertion of the exercise undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater self-perceived exertion before bedtime was associated with higher objectively assessed sleep efficiency (r = 0.69, P <0.001); self-perceived exertion explained 48% of the variance in sleep efficiency (R2 = 0.48). Moreover, high self-perceived exercise exertion was associated with more deep sleep, shortened sleep onset time, fewer awakenings after sleep onset, and shorter wake duration after sleep onset. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that objective sleep efficiency was predicted by increased exercise exertion, shortened sleep onset time, increased deep sleep, and decreased light sleep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Against expectations and general recommendations for sleep hygiene, high self-perceived exercise exertion before bedtime was associated with better sleep patterns in a sample of healthy young adults. Further studies should also focus on elderly adults and adults suffering from insomnia.
authors.affiliation: Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Section of Sport Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: serge.brand@upkbs.ch.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalak
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Section of Sport Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Roumen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kirov
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Section of Sport Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pühse
authors.affiliation: Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004569:Electroencephalography; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D012016:Reference Values; D012890:Sleep; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Exercise; Perceived exercise exertion; Recommendations for sleep hygiene; Sleep efficiency; Sleep-EEG; Young adults