Interaction Between Exercise and Sleep Quality Through Melatonin Synthesis: A Literature Review

Abstract

Irregular exercise or insufficient physical activity may disrupt the biological clock and secretion of the melatonin hormone, which is important in sleep regulation. Regular exercise with a certain intensity and duration can help the body to increase melatonin production which can reduce sleep disorders. A search of full-text articles relevant to exercise and sleep quality was conducted in this literature review. We used four international databases: PubMed, PMC, Wiley Library, and ProQuest. We searched for articles published from 2017 to 2021. After screening the collected articles, only 12 articles were included. The articles were assessed using the JBI appraisal tools and the data were analyzed using descriptive methods. It was found that regular exercise at a certain intensity and duration affects the production of the melatonin hormone in humans. 6 out of the 12 articles revealed that melatonin levels changed in the study participants after doing exercise. Furthermore, 6 other articles mentioned that exercise had an impact on improving sleep quality. Keywords: physical activity, exercise, sleep quality, melatonin hormone