A good night's sleep could
start
with a workout in the morning
Getting off the couch in the morning
could help some postmenopausal women sleep better at night, according to
researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Moderate exercise, about the intensity
of a brisk walk for 45 minutes at least five days a week, helped women who
exercised in the morning fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, said
lead researcher Dr. Anne McTiernan.
Light stretching alone also appeared to
improve sleep patterns.
Evening exercise routines didn't have
the same effect on sleep quality and made it more difficult for some to
fall asleep, researchers found.
Researchers studied 173 postmenopausal
women ages 50 to 75 who were overweight, sedentary and not taking
hormone-replacement therapy. The yearlong study, which ended in 2001, was
conceived to examine the link between breast-cancer prevention and
exercise, but was later broadened to include the effect of moderate
activity on sleep.
The findings, which appear in the
November issue of the journal SLEEP, support other smaller studies that
point to a link between exercise and a good night's sleep, said McTiernan.
"It gives us more confidence that exercise probably does have an
effect on improving sleep."
Bernyce Edwards, 71, is sold on the
benefits of exercise.
She volunteered for the study in memory
of her daughter, who died in 1997 from breast cancer.
Since then, she's lost 20 pounds and
falls asleep in five minutes. Edwards said she used to toss and turn,
waking up several times at night to read.
"I sleep better than ever since I
started exercising," said Edwards. "It energizes me but it also
for some reason totally relaxes me."
Several days a week she walks to the
West Seattle YMCA, takes an aerobics class and walks home. On Saturdays,
she walks 3 1/2 miles along Alki Beach with her friend.
"I exercised during the study and I
just kept on moving," said Edwards, who couldn't walk longer than 20
minutes on a treadmill when she first started. "I wouldn't trade this
part of my life today for anything."
It's unclear why the benefits of
exercise are greater for women who exercised in the morning, said
McTiernan.
"(Exercise) could affect some
hormones that keep you more awake," she said "In the morning,
those energizing hormones make you feel good during the day. By the time
night falls they'll have worn off and you can sleep better."
Poor sleep is a common problem for
postmenopausal women and can lead to depression and difficulty
concentrating.
Hot flashes can wake women up and a lack
of estrogen might also contribute to restless sleep, said McTiernan.
For evening exercisers who have trouble
sleeping, she suggests adjusting workout times.
"They might move (their workout)
down an hour or go to sleep a little later."
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