Physical activity in the treatment of primary insomnia

Abstract

Insomnia is commonplace in the general population. Poor sleep quality leads to various health dysfunctions and compromises the well-being of the affected individuals. Non-pharmacologic approaches should be considered the first-line treatment as suggested by various guidelines. Among others (e.g., sleep hygiene, cognitive-behavioral therapy, light therapy), appropriate physical activity seems to be promising in treating and preventing sleep disturbance development. We found that improvement in a particular objective and subjective sleep quality parameters may be attributed to appropriate physical activity. When further analyzing the activity, light-intensity aerobic exercises and resistance training reduced insomnia symptoms. High-intensity interval training also showed a positive effect on the improvement in depressive symptoms. Regarding mind-body practices, current evidence is insufficient to conclude. However, it was documented that stress, depression, and anxiety reduction, can improve well-being.