No one is suggesting that people who can't sleep should hop out of bed and do jumping jacks, but a daily routine that includes aerobic exercise has been shown to help people get a better night's sleep. Science Daily reports that researchers at Northwestern University studied 23 sedentary adults, primarily women, 55 and older who had so much trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep that the lack of sleep impaired their daytime function.
The participants were divided into two groups, one of which exercised for
two 20-minute sessions four times per week or one 30-to-40-minute
session four times per week, both for 16 weeks. Participants worked at
75 percent of their maximum heart rate on at least two activities
including walking or using a stationary bicycle or treadmill. The other group participated in
recreational or educational activities, such as a cooking class or a
museum lecture, which met for about 45 minutes three to five times per
week for 16 weeks. Science Daily reports that the researchers found that exercise improved the participants' sleep quality,
elevating them from a diagnosis of poor sleeper to good sleeper. They
also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality and less daytime
sleepiness.