Moderate Aerobics May Ease Insomnia Symptoms

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Moderate Aerobics May Ease Insomnia Symptoms

 
HealthDay News is reporting a study showing that a session of moderate aerobic exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve the quality of sleep for insomnia patients – while heavy aerobic or moderate strength exercises don’t have the same effect.
After the exercise session, those who did moderate aerobic exercise showed reductions in sleep onset latency (54 percent) and wake time (36 percent) and increases in total sleep time (21 percent) and sleep efficiency (18 percent). They also showed a 7 percent decrease in anxiety.
“These findings indicate that there is a way to diminish the symptoms of insomnia without using medication,” study author Giselle S. Passos said in a prepared statement.
My Take?

As far as I know, this is the first study to look at the importance of using physical exercise to treat insomnia. 
In an earlier blog, I covered a study showing that a poor diet (one high in saturated fat) was associated with poor sleep. ”Eat better and then sleep better,” was my conclusion.
This study would add to that advice by saying, “Exercise better and sleep better.”
 

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