Evening Habits to Enhance Sleep Quality

Traditionally, rigorous exercise before bedtime has been discouraged, but recent research from the University of Otago suggests that brief periods of light activity might actually improve sleep.

In a groundbreaking study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine and funded by the Health Research Council, participants engaged in two four-hour evening sessions, either sitting continuously or sitting with three-minute activity breaks every half hour. The results showed that participants who took the activity breaks slept 30 minutes longer.

Jennifer Gale, a PhD candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition and lead author of the study, notes that prolonged sitting is linked to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

"Many people experience their longest period of uninterrupted sitting at home in the evening. Our previous research has demonstrated that brief bouts of exercise every 30 minutes can lower blood sugar and fat levels after meals," Gale explains. "Given that traditional sleep guidelines often advise against intense exercise close to bedtime, we aimed to explore the effects of very short, light activity sessions throughout the evening."

Primary investigator Dr. Meredith Peddie, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition, details that the exercise intervention included simple movements: chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight leg hip extensions.

"These bodyweight exercises were selected because they require no special equipment or large space and can be performed without disrupting your evening routine, such as watching TV," Peddie says. "You could achieve similar benefits by walking around the house, marching in place, or even dancing—what matters most is breaking up prolonged periods of sitting with regular movement."

The study's findings are significant because inadequate sleep is known to negatively impact diet and is associated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. While current sleep guidelines often discourage high-intensity exercise before bed due to concerns about raising body temperature and heart rate, this research suggests that frequent, light activity might be a beneficial approach.

"It may be time to reconsider these guidelines," Dr. Peddie concludes, "as our study indicates that regularly interrupting long periods of sitting could be a valuable health intervention." 

Original source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240716202259.htm