Effects of Moderate Exercise And Interval Exercise On Sleep Quality

Effects of an Acute Bout of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise And High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise On Sleep During Night Shifts In Medical Shift Workers With Sleep Impairment: A Single-Blind Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to explore the effects of a single bout of moderate- aerobic continuous exercise (MACE) and high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) on sleep during continuous night shifts in medical shift workers with mild sleep impairment.

Medical staff with sleep disturbances due to their night-shift work were randomized to either a treadmill walking session for 47 minutes with moderate intensity (the heart rate reaches 70~75% of the maximum heart rate), treadmill running section for 28 minutes with intermittent high-intensity (the heart rate reaches 90~95% of the maximum heart rate for 4 minutes and 50~70% for 3 minutes), or a quiet-rest control, 14 hours before undertaking a continuous night shift. Sleep quality was assessed by ActiGraph with subjective questionnaire for 1 night and 3 nights after exercise. Tests were performed (t-tests or χ2 tests) to test for differences between any two of the three intervention trials.

Inclusion Criteria:

• medical staff who have worked at least three consecutive night shifts
• reporting sleep disturbed during the night shift
• not taking sleep/psychotropic medications
• no clinical diagnosis of sleep apnea or other sleep disorder
• not exercising regularly

Exclusion Criteria:

• not medical staff
• without night shift
• taking sleep/psychotropic medications
• exercising regularly