Exercise improves sleep quality, mood, and quality of life among older adults with insomnia. This study evaluated the daily bidirectional relationships between exercise and sleep in a sample of women with insomnia. Participants included 11 women with insomnia who engaged in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times per week. Self-reported sleep quality was assessed at baseline and at 16 weeks. Sleep and exercise logs and wrist activity were collected continuously. The results showed that total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and self-reported global sleep quality improved from baseline to 16 weeks. Baseline ratings of sleepiness were negatively correlated with exercise session duration. Daily exercise was not associated with subjective or objective sleep variables during the corresponding night. However, participants had shorter exercise duration following nights with longer sleep onset latency. Total sleep time at baseline moderated the daily relationship between total sleep time and next day exercise duration. The relationship between shorter total sleep time and shorter next day exercise was stronger in participants who had shorter total sleep time at baseline. The authors conclude sleep influences next day exercise rather than exercise influencing sleep and that improving sleep encourages exercise participation. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013 August. PMID: 23946713
