Exercise improves sleep apnea in overweight, sedentary adults

Exercise training may be beneficial for the management of sleep apnea in overweight patients who lead a sedentary lifestyle, according to a study in the December issue of the journal SLEEP. Forty-three overweight or obese adults, with at least moderately severe sleep apnea, were selected for the study.

These adults were used to exercising less than two times a week. For the study, they underwent a 12-week session of moderately intense exercise training. The purpose was to see if the exercise would have an effect on previously untreated sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea was improved despite no changes in body weight. However, only about a quarter of study participants saw a 50 percent or more reduction in sleep apnea. But a 20 percent reduction in sleep apnea was experienced by 63 percent of participants. Together, these results led researchers to conclude that exercise training is moderately effective in treating sleep apnea in sedentary, overweight patients.

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) is the first-line treatment for sleep apnea. Visit the Your Sleep website to find out if you are at risk for sleep apnea. Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center.

Image by Pete

Read More

Sleep More, Stress Less to Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig should get with the program. Neither of the weight loss leaders integrates sleep education and sleep diaries. And the companies are making a big mistake, new research suggests. Popular approaches used by groups like Weight Watchers use a diary to keep track of food and exercise. Adding an extra column in the diary for hours slept would be a minor change that could make a significant impact.

A new study in the International Journal of Obesity found that adequate sleep increases your chances of success during weight loss efforts. People trying to lose at least 10 pounds more often reached their goal if they had six to eight hours of sleep per night. Stress reduction also helps with weight loss, the study reports.

A group of 500 study participants were instructed to lose 10 pounds over a six month period. All participants attended weekly weigh-in and educational meetings. Instructors at the meetings encouraged the participants to consume 500 fewer calories per day, adopt a healthy low-fat, low-sugar diet and exercise for at least 180 minutes a week. Participants were required to keep record of how long they slept, stress levels and mood. The class instructors encouraged participants to keep a food diary as well.

Nearly three-quarters of the people who slept more than six hours and kept a low-stress lifestyle were successful in losing 10 pounds or more and were twice as likely to meet their goals compared to those who get six or fewer hours of sleep.

Sleep loss tends to lead to weight gain or undermine dietary weight loss because it changes the body’s hormone levels. Lower leptin and higher ghrelin can lead to a slower metabolism but a bigger appetite for junk food.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or stay trim for swimsuit season, prioritizing sleep is always a good idea. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends adults get at least seven hours of sleep. Don’t underestimate the power of diet and exercise. Weight loss programs like Weight Watchers work for many people because they educate people to make the right choices and encourage them to hold themselves accountable for their health.

Read More

Sweating off Insomnia Works, New Study Contends

The benefit of exercise for insomnia continues to be a hotly debated topic in the sleep research community. Recently, several high-profile reports have come to conflicting conclusions on whether a workout routine can promote sleep.

The latest published study by Northwestern University researchers shifts the argument back in favor of exercise for insomnia. The article concludes that older adults can counteract the sleeplessness associated with aging by taking up an aerobic workout routine.

Many of the adults who started exercising during the study improved from poor sleepers to good sleepers. The group reported reduced depression and overall improved mood along with enhanced of sleep quality.

The study involved 23 mainly sedentary adults of average age of 55. The group was randomly assigned to either aerobic conditioning or a non-physical activity such as a cooking class or museum lecture. Only the exercise group saw improved sleep.

A June study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine came to a similar conclusion for slightly younger insomnia patients. A 50-minute jog on the treadmill 4-8 hours before bedtime helped middle-aged insomniacs sleep sooner. Moderate aerobic exercise was more effective in promoting sleep than high-intensity cardiac routines or resistance training. The authors believe the routine helps with bedtime anxiety.

Another study published in May claims the benefits are all mental. Swiss researchers found people who rated themselves as physically fit slept better, even if they were not necessarily in good physical shape.

Normal adults with no history of insomnia may not see any benefit at all, a 2003 study concluded. Wrist actigraphy demonstrated active young adults fell asleep only a minute and a half faster than their peers.

In some cases exercising can actually hurt sleep. Never exercise within a few hours of bedtime. Evening workouts run counter to the evening wind-down process and can actually make you wake up.

There’s one thing all sleep experts can agree on: exercise is important for your overall health. While insomnia may or may not improve, you’re reducing your risk of getting obstructive sleep apnea by controlling your weight and taking care of your body.

Read More

Moderate aerobic exercise can improve sleep quality for insomnia patients

A modest jog or a few dozen laps in the pool may help insomnia patients rediscover restful sleep. A new study published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine demonstrates how moderate-intensity cardio exercise can improve overall sleep quality.

Exercising 4-8 hours before bedtime helped primary insomnia patients get to sleep faster, wake up less often and increase total time asleep. The authors think the aerobic exercise helps reduce bedtime anxiety.

High intensity aerobic exercise and resistance training led to fewer improvements.

The findings were based on overnight sleep study results along with a daily sleep log.

The study featured a sample of 48 subjects assigned to a control group or one of the three exercise conditions. The participants, ages 30 to 55, all had chronic primary insomnia. Anyone with a medical or psychiatric condition was excluded. People who exercised regularly or worked abnormal shifts were also left out of the study.

The moderate-intensity aerobic exercise group ran at a medium pace on a treadmill for 50 minutes. The high-intensity group ran faster for three ten-minute sessions, each followed by ten minute rest periods. Both groups began with a three minute warm-up session.

Participants assigned to resistance training worked out for 50 minutes. They did nine exercises targeted at different muscle groups. Each involved three sets of 10 repetitions.

Past studies have suggested the insomnia-reducing effects are all mental. Sleep experts regularly recommend exercise to help reduce obstructive sleep apnea.

Image by Matthias Weinberger

Read More

Sleep and exercise: is the benefit all mental?

The popular belief is getting regular physical exercise will make sleeping easier and more restful. A vocal group of sleep researchers are questioning the legitimacy of this conventional wisdom.

The New York Times recently published an article summarizing provocative recent research on the benefits of exercise.

A Swiss study suggests the benefit is all mental. People sleep better because they believe they’re improving their sleep through exercise.

The authors were unable to make any direct correlation between sleep and amount of physical exercise. College students in the study who rated themselves low on a perceived fitness scale tended to report problems sleeping. Those who rated high on the same scale reported sound sleep. The correlation between how much they exercised and how perceived fitness was not very high.

A past study had difficulties linking regular exercise with quality of sleep. Researchers were unable to find any pattern in sleep and exercise habits based on diaries completed by U.S. college students. The same study also reported active adults fell asleep only a minute and a half faster than their inactive peers. The data was taken from monitors that recorded their movements and sleeping patterns.

Further research suggests increasing exercise may increase slow wave sleep, however this effect was did not hold true for marathon runners and frequent exercisers. Body temperature may play a part in the relationship between exercise and deep sleep.

While it is debatable on how exercise impacts normal sleep, there are preventative benefits. Physical fitness reduces the risk for the development of obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder often tied to obesity.

Weight loss through dieting and regular exercise is part of a treatment strategy recommended by the AASM for people who are obese and have sleep apnea. Research suggests weight loss provides relief by reducing the severity of sleep apnea. This treatment should be combined with CPAP or an oral appliance to improve the quality of sleep and reduce the risk of serious complications.

Read More

Sleep, Exercise & Weight Gain

According to Reuters News, the results of a small study make a common-sense claim: Lack of sleep leads to lack of exercise, which leads to weight gain.

Several studies have found that people who are not sleeping enough tend to gain weight. But a connection was never explained fully.

Last year, the Sleep Education Blog reported that sleep deprivation causes changes in hormones that regulate your appetite. This could eventually lead to weight gain.

The results of this study may point to a simpler explanation.

The study took place in Germany. It involved 15 healthy men who were of normal weight. Participants were observed for four nights in a sleep lab. On two of the nights, the men slept for eight hours. For the other two, they were only allowed to sleep for four hours. During the following days, the men wore wrist devices to track their movement.

On the days following sleep deprivation, the participants’ activity levels fell. After getting eight hours of sleep, the men spent 25 percent of their time awake doing high-intensity exercise. After four hours of sleep, the amount of time spent doing these activities fell to 22 percent.

The men did not report feeling more hungry, and they did not eat more after the nights of sleep deprivation. No changes in blood levels or appetite-regulating hormones were found.

The authors of the study note that their findings do not eliminate a potential link between hunger, appetite-regulating hormones and chronic sleep deprivation. But they do indicate that even a small amount of sleep loss can reduce physical activity. Over time, if you don’t exercise you might begin to put on weight.

Visit Sleep Education.com to learn more about the link between sleep and weight.

Image by mikebaird

Read More