Exercise, less sitting time, linked to better sleep

NEW YORK—Insomniacs looking for a good night’s sleep may want to hit the treadmill, take a walk or play a game of golf or tennis because a new report released on Monday shows exercise promotes good sleep and the more vigorous the workout, the better.

Just 10 minutes of exercise a day could make a difference in the duration and quality of sleep, the survey by the nonprofit National Sleep Foundation showed.

“We found that exercise and great sleep go together, hand in hand,” Max Hirshkowitz, a sleep researcher and chair of the poll task force, said in an interview.

“We also found a step-wise increase in how vigorous the quality is in terms of how much you exercise. So if you say you exercise a lot, we found better sleep quality. For people whodon’t exercise at all, we found more sleep problems.”

Earlier research studies have shown the impact of exercise on sleep but Hirshkowitz, who is a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said the survey is the first to detail the benefits of exercise in a nationally representative poll of this size.

People who described them- selves as exercisers reported better sleep than their more sedentary counterparts, although the amount of sleep, an average of just under seven hours on weeknights, was the same.

More than 75 percent of the 1,000 people questioned in the Internet and telephone poll, who described themselves as exercisers, said they slept well compared to just over half of people who did no exercise.

Very active people reported fewer sleep problems, dozed off quicker and needed less shut eye a night to function at their best during the day.

Sitting, more than eight hours daily also had a negative impact on sleep, according to the poll.

Nearly half of Americans report experiencing insomnia occasionally and 22 percent suffer from the condition, which can be caused by stress, anxiety, pain and medication, every or almost every night, according to the foundation.

In addition to poorer sleep, non-exercisers also were less likely to report good or excellent health compared to active people and had more trouble staying awake while driving and eating.