To determine the effect of a six-month aerobic exercise program on home-based sleep quality among overweight and obese men with chronic insomnia symptoms.
Participants were 45 Finnish men (93% had body mass index =25) aged 30-65 years, with chronic (=3 months) insomnia symptoms as classified by the DSM-IV criteria. Participants were randomized into an exercise (n?=?24) or control group (n?=?21). The exercise group received six-month aerobic exercise intervention with one to five sessions per week of 30-60 minutes duration. The control group was instructed to maintain habitual lifestyle behaviors during the study period. Seven-night home sleep was measured with a piezoelectric bed sensor and sleep diary. Other assessments included the modified Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire, a health and behavior questionnaire, physical activity and diet diaries, anthropometry, fat mass, and physical fitness. Analysis of covariance controlling for baseline values, and repeated-measures analysis of variance were implemented for time-by-group comparisons and within-group comparisons, respectively.
At six months, the exercise group showed reduced objective sleep onset latency (p?=?0.010) and lowered frequency of difficulty initiating sleep (p?=?0.021) than controls. Although a time-by-group difference was not significant, exercisers showed shorter objective wake after sleep onset (p?=?0.004), reduced subjective nocturnal awakenings (p?=?0.010), improved objective sleep efficiency (p?