Regular Exercise Linked to a Better Night's Sleep
Regular exercise could be a good way to get a good night's sleep, according to a new study.
But you might need to keep it up for a number of years to get the best results.
A team of researchers found that just two 30-minute sessions of exercise per week can have an effect, if done consistently.
The study links this amount of exercise over a long period of time to a lower risk of insomnia and a better chance of getting the recommended amount of sleep each night.
The research team looked at more than 4,000 people aged between 39 and 67 from nine European countries. They were followed for a 10-year period.
At the start and end of the study, participants answered questions about the amount of exercise they did.
They also answered questions at the end of the study about their sleep, including how sleepy they felt during the day, how long they slept and how easy they found it to get to sleep.
People who said they exercised for at least an hour a week, over two sessions, were classified as "physically active."
About 25% of people were consistently physically active over that 10-year period, and they were less likely to have difficulty getting to sleep and more likely to sleep for at least six hours.
That's compared to the 37% of people who were consistently inactive during the study period.
And participants who became active sometime during the 10-year period were 21% more likely to get a normal sleep at night.
However, this doesn't mean exercise is a cure for insomnia, the researchers said. But it may be a good idea to try even a small amount of exercise if you're finding it difficult to get to sleep.
