Habitual physical activity, insomnia severity and sleep-related complaints in patients taking sleeping pills

Objectives

To compare insomnia severity, sleep quality, pre-sleep arousal and complaints of depression, anxiety and stress in physically active versus inactive patients taking sleeping pills for insomnia.

Methods

Participants were classified as active or inactive based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were assessed.

Results

One-hundred thirty-six patients were included (physically active, n = 60; physically inactive, n = 76). Insomnia severity was significantly lower in the physically active compared with the inactive participants (14.8 ± 4.3 vs 18.7 ± 5.7). Significant differences favorable to the physically active participants were also observed for the PSQI-global score (13.7 ± 3.4 vs 16.6 ± 3.4), PSQI-sleep latency (56.9 ± 50.4 min vs 103.6 ± 78.9), PSQI-sleep duration (5.3 ± 1.2 vs 4.7 ± 1.5 h), PSQI-sleep efficiency (71.4 ± 16.0 vs 59.9 ± 17.3 %), scale somatic (17.2 ± 7.2 vs 21.3 ± 7.1) and cognitive pre-sleep arousal (23.9 ± 7.2 vs 28.2 ± 7.0), depressed mood (11.9 ± 11.1 vs 20.2 ± 12.2), anxiety (11.8 ± 10.2 vs 16.8 ± 10.9) and stress (23.8 ± 8.7 vs 28.5 ± 10.2). Combining data across both active and inactive participants, the time in moderate-vigorous exercise (min/week) was significantly inversely correlated with insomnia severity and some sleep outcomes.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that physical activity may complement pharmacological treatment for insomnia. However, further longitudinal and experimental research is needed to determine whether increasing physical activity leads to sustained improvements in sleep outcomes.