According to new research, exercise may be your key to better sleep. People who are more active tend to not need any sleeping aids.
Exercise has a stronger effect on men than it does for women.
Recent research has shown that between 10 and 20 percent of people suffer from severe long-term insomnia. Many resort to sleeping pills to help them get through the night.
Research suggests that exercise could prove to be an even better way of coping with stress.
Associate professor Dr Linda Ernstsen at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology said: “We’ve observed that people who are in better physical condition have a lower risk of taking prescription sleeping pills.”
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These findings showed that men who are fitter had a 15% lower chance of using drugs for sleep. Women who exercise regularly, however, were just 5% less likely to use drugs for their sleeping disorders.
Dr Ernstsen said: “The corresponding percentage risk for the fittest women was much lower. But women who struggle with sleep can still benefit from getting in better shape.”
The team reviewed data from Norway’s large Trøndelag Health Survey.
Since 1984, the survey has been completed by 240,000 participants from Trondheim (Norway).
Up to this point, there have been four surveys.
The research team gathered the data from 34,357 participants who took part in the third Trøndelag Health Study from 2006 to 2008.
All participants were followed up until January 1, 2018, with an average age just above 51.
The survey allowed researchers to follow the evolution of people’s health over many years.
They found that around 17 per cent of the participants’ sleep issues were serious enough to warrant a prescription from their doctor.
Dr Ernstsen said: “Almost 5800 of the participants received their first prescription sleep medication during the study period.”
These prescription drugs were used by the more fit participants, however.
This research group hopes that these findings can influence how doctors advise patients about sleeping.
Dr Ernstsen added: “Our findings support the idea that improving or maintaining fitness can be an effective alternative for preventing sleep problems.”
Mayo Clinic Proceedings published the results.
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