In a new study from the University of Saskatchewan, researchers confirmed the connection between sleep and physical activity among middle-aged women.
They found a big difference between women with higher aerobic fitness levels getting more sleep each night and feeling more rested.
Although this study was conducted prior to the pandemic, the team believes this research is still applicable to women experiencing the pandemic.
Sleep plays an important role in our health. As women enter menopause, which typically happens between the ages of 40 to 50, they could experience a decrease in their sleep quality.
Physical activity has been linked to improved sleep among older people.
The purpose of this study was to determine if physical activity and/or physical fitness are associated with sleep quantity and quality in middle-aged women.
This study recruited 114 healthy women, aged 30-55 from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from 2015-2019.
Participants were classified on their aerobic fitness, grip strength and how physically active they were. Women who were more fit could walk farther and be able to keep a higher speed.
Next was grip strength to test their musculoskeletal fitness. Participants also filled out a questionnaire to measure their level of physical activity.
Both sleep quantity and quality were evaluated through questionnaires.
Overall, the study has shown that women who are more physically active and have a higher aerobic fitness level tend to have better sleep.
The high aerobic fitness group had a greater mean sleep duration of 7.04 hours compared to the low fit group of 6.61 hours after adjusting for age, Body Mass Index, waist circumference and menstrual status.
The percentage of high aerobic fitness women who felt rested was calculated at 67% compared to low aerobic fitness women at just 45%.
If you care about sleep, please read studies about common high blood pressure drugs may contribute to sleep loss and findings of this sleep disorder common in people with thinking and memory problems.
For more information about sleep and your health, please see recent studies about sleep can maximize vaccine effectiveness and results showing that this common sleep problem linked to increased risk of death.
The study is published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. One author of the study is Dr. Heather Foulds.
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