%0 Journal Article
%T Moderate Exercise Plus Sleep Education Improves Self-Reported Sleep Quality, Daytime Mood, and Vitality in Adults with Chronic Sleep Complaints: A Waiting List-Controlled Trial
%A Carmen Gebhart
%A Daniel Erlacher
%A Michael Schredl
%J Sleep Disorders
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/809312
%X Research indicates that physical exercise can contribute to better sleep quality. This study investigates the six-week influence of a combined intervention on self-rated sleep quality, daytime mood, and quality of life. A nonclinical sample of 114 adults with chronic initiating and the maintaining of sleep complaints participated in the study. The intervention group of 70 adults underwent moderate physical exercise, conducted weekly, plus sleep education sessions. Improvements among participants assigned to the intervention group relative to the waiting-list control group ( ) were noted for subjective sleep quality, daytime mood, depressive symptoms and vitality. Derived from PSQI subscores, the intervention group reported increased sleep duration, shortened sleep latency, fewer awakenings after sleep onset, and overall better sleep efficiency compared to controls. The attained scores were well sustained and enhanced over a time that lasted through to the follow-up 18 weeks later. These findings have implications in treatment programs concerning healthy lifestyle approaches for adults with chronic sleep complaints. 1. Introduction Nocturnal sleeplessness in terms of prolonged initiation of sleep times, frequent nightly awakenings, early morning awakenings, or sleep that are chronically nonrestorative and the consequences on daytime functioning is referred to as insomnia (ICSD-2, 2005). In a review of 21 representative studies by Ohayon [1], the prevalence of insomnia symptoms ranges from 10% to 48% in the general population across the world, and 9% to 15% report additional daytime consequences (e.g., depressive mood and irritability). Insomnia, therefore, can be seen as being a notable public health problem. Disorders of the sleep-wake cycle not only have an acutely negative impact on daytime functioning but also, in the long run, heighten the risk of overall health-related quality-of-life impairment [2¨C4]. Chronic sleep problems are associated with serious health problems like psychological disorders, particularly depression [5, 6] and anxiety disorders [7] as well as medical consequences, for example, hypertension [8], diabetes [9], or obesity [10]. Insomnia has been treated either pharmacologically or with cognitive behavioural therapy. As a fact endorsed by the National Institute of Health [11], pharmacotherapy is effective for the acute management of chronic insomnia [12] although side effects must be taken into consideration, for example, dependence, tolerance, and daytime sedation [13]. Several meta-analyses of cognitive behavioural therapy have
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/sd/2011/809312/