Combination, Aerobic Exercise Improves Sleep Quality in Seniors
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 7, 2025 -- Exercise, particularly strengthening exercise and aerobic exercise, can improve the sleep quality of older adults, according to a review published online March 3 in Family Medicine and Community Health.
Pakwan Bahalayothin, from Mahidol University in Bangkok, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to measure the impact of each type of exercise on sleep quality and to identify the exercise that enhances sleep quality the most. Participants in the studies were 60 years of age and older.
Based on pooled data from 2,170 people (25 trials), the researchers found significant improvement in the Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (GPSQI) with combined exercise (unstandardized mean difference [USMD], −2.35; I2 = 69.13 percent). With aerobic activity, there were significant decreases in GPSQI (USMD, −4.36; I2 = 97.83 percent). Strengthening, aerobic, and combination exercise significantly lowered GPSQI in a network meta-analysis (USMD, −5.75, –3.76, and −2.54, respectively). GPSQI was most effectively improved with strength training (surface under the cumulative ranking curve, 94.6 percent).
"This study shows that exercise, particularly strengthening exercise and aerobic exercise, is beneficial for enhancing subjective sleep quality at a clinically significant level compared with normal activities, which is consistent with previous studies," the authors write. "Nevertheless, caution should be applied when interpreting this study because of the diverse exercise characteristics, the small number of studies, and the high risk of bias among studies."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
Swept-Source Anterior Segment OCT Can Help Distinguish Early Childhood Glaucoma
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- The noninvasive swept-source anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (SS-ASOCT) can diagnose early-onset childhood glaucoma, according to a study...
Semaglutide Plus Intensive Behavioral Therapy Most Beneficial for Weight Loss
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Weight loss treatment combining personalized semaglutide with intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) yields weight loss similar to that reported in...
Higher Social Media Use Tied to Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in Youth
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Higher social media use is associated with greater subsequent depressive symptoms in children and adolescents, according to a study published online May 21...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.