The exercise type that will help you beat insomnia
Older people with insomnia could tackle the condition by lifting weights, research suggests.
Experts found that resistance or muscle-strengthening exercises, such as lifting dumbbells or using gym equipment, helped reduce sleepless nights.
Taking aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming, or a mix of exercises such as aerobic classes, weight training and pilates also helped tackle insomnia, though it was less effective.
The study, published in the journal Family Medicine And Community Health, said: 'Older people have more significant insomnia than younger people. Between 30 per cent and 48 per cent of seniors complain of sleepiness while 12 to 20 per cent have insomnia problems.
'Strong evidence links sleeplessness to depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
'Several studies have linked sleeplessness to metabolic syndrome, hypertension and heart disease. Cognitive decline and prostate cancer risk are related to insomnia.'
The researchers, from the Faculty of Medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said previous studies have found that exercise helps insomnia but it has not been clear which type might be most beneficial.
Varied results
To answer this, they looked at 24 clinical trials involving 2,045 people aged 60 and over.
The types of exercise covered by the studies included: aerobic, such as cycling and dancing; resistance, such as lifting weights and using resistance machines; balance, such as sideways walking and one-leg standing; flexibility, such as gymnastics and pilates; and combination exercise which included several types.
Across all the trials, more than half included exercise that was mild to moderate intensity. The average length of a session was just over 50 minutes with the exercises being completed around two to three times a week. On average, the exercise programmes lasted 14 weeks.
The results showed that, using a standard scale of sleep and sleep quality, strength/resistance exercise was the most effective at cutting insomnia.
The scale used was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which is a simple questionnaire used to assess sleep.
Using this, detailed analysis showed that strength/resistance exercise improved the PSQI by 5.75 points.
Aerobic exercise improved the PQSI by 3.76 while combination exercise improved it by 2.54.
The researchers concluded: 'Exercise that strengthens muscles, rather than aerobic or combination exercises, is the most effective way to enhance sleep quality.'
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The exercise type that will help you beat insomnia
Older people with insomnia could tackle the condition by lifting weights, research suggests. Experts found that resistance or muscle-strengthening exercises, such as lifting dumbbells or using gym equipment, helped reduce sleepless nights. Taking aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming, or a mix of exercises such as aerobic classes, weight training and pilates also helped tackle insomnia, though it was less effective. The study, published in the journal Family Medicine And Community Health, said: 'Older people have more significant insomnia than younger people. Between 30 per cent and 48 per cent of seniors complain of sleepiness while 12 to 20 per cent have insomnia problems. 'Strong evidence links sleeplessness to depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. 'Several studies have linked sleeplessness to metabolic syndrome, hypertension and heart disease. Cognitive decline and prostate cancer risk are related to insomnia.' The researchers, from the Faculty of Medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, said previous studies have found that exercise helps insomnia but it has not been clear which type might be most beneficial. Varied results To answer this, they looked at 24 clinical trials involving 2,045 people aged 60 and over. The types of exercise covered by the studies included: aerobic, such as cycling and dancing; resistance, such as lifting weights and using resistance machines; balance, such as sideways walking and one-leg standing; flexibility, such as gymnastics and pilates; and combination exercise which included several types. Across all the trials, more than half included exercise that was mild to moderate intensity. The average length of a session was just over 50 minutes with the exercises being completed around two to three times a week. On average, the exercise programmes lasted 14 weeks. The results showed that, using a standard scale of sleep and sleep quality, strength/resistance exercise was the most effective at cutting insomnia. The scale used was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which is a simple questionnaire used to assess sleep. Using this, detailed analysis showed that strength/resistance exercise improved the PSQI by 5.75 points. Aerobic exercise improved the PQSI by 3.76 while combination exercise improved it by 2.54. The researchers concluded: 'Exercise that strengthens muscles, rather than aerobic or combination exercises, is the most effective way to enhance sleep quality.'
