Resistance exercise could improve sleep duration, efficiency

Individuals at elevated cardiovascular disease risk (overweight/obese, increased blood pressure levels) may improve the duration and efficiency of their sleep through regular resistance exercise regimens, according to a study presented at the EPI Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2022.

“Resistance exercise significantly improved sleep duration and sleep efficiency, which are critical indicators of sleep quality that reflects how well a person falls asleep and stays asleep throughout the night,” said study author Assistant Professor Angelique Brellenthin from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, US.

The study included 386 inactive adults who were overweight or obese (BMI 25–40 kg/m²) and had elevated blood pressure levels (systolic blood pressure: 120–139 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure: 80–89 mm Hg). They were randomized to a no-exercise group (control) or one of three exercise programmes (aerobic only, resistance only, or combined aerobic and resistance) for 1 year. The exercise programmes comprised supervised thrice-weekly 60-minute sessions, with individuals in the combined group carrying out 30 minutes each of aerobic and resistance exercise per session. 

At baseline, 35 percent of participants reported poor quality sleep, defined as a score of >5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

The recommended amount of sleep per day for adults is 7–8 hours. Forty-two percent of participants were not getting ≥7 hours of sleep per day at baseline. Among these individuals, the greatest improvement in sleep duration over 12 months was noted in those assigned to the resistance exercise programme (average 40-minute increase). Those assigned to the aerobic and combined exercise programmes also experienced improvements in sleep duration over 12 months, but to a lesser degree (average 23- and 17-minute increase, respectively). The latter was similar to individuals in the control group who experienced an average 15-minute increase in sleep duration over 12 months. [EPI Lifestyle 2022, presentation 38]

Individuals assigned to resistance exercise (p=0.0005) or combined exercise (p=0.03) experienced improvements in sleep efficiency, defined as the amount of time actually asleep divided by the total amount of time in bed. This improvement was not observed in those assigned to aerobic exercise (p=0.97) or no exercise (p=0.86; between-group interaction p=0.04).

Only the individuals assigned to resistance exercise experienced a reduction (-3 minutes; p=0.003) in sleep latency (the amount of time to fall asleep). Individuals in all groups experienced improvements in sleep quality (reduction in PSQI total score) and sleep disturbance.

“It is increasingly recognized that getting enough sleep, particularly high-quality sleep, is important for health including cardiovascular health,” Brellenthin pointed out. “Aerobic activity is often recommended to improve sleep, yet very little is known about the effects of resistance exercise versus aerobic exercise on sleep,” she continued.

“While both aerobic and resistance exercise are important for overall health, our results suggest that resistance exercises may be superior when it comes to getting better ZZZs at night. Therefore, if your sleep has gotten noticeably worse over the past 2 stressful years, consider incorporating two or more resistance exercise training sessions into your regular exercise routine to improve your general muscle and bone health, as well as your sleep,” she said.