Dados do Trabalho

Título

Individuals who exercise regularly have a shorter sleep latency and perceive a higher quality of sleep

Introdução

Sleep is a restorative biological process essential for the proper functioning of the human body. Simultaneously, physical activity has been widely recognized as an effective non-pharmacological intervention in the primary treatment of various sleep disorders, contributing to improved sleep quality.

Objetivo

This study aimed to investigate the practice of physical activity and its relationship with sleep quality in a population from the city of Araguatins, located in the Bico do Papagaio region, in the northern part of the state of Tocantins, Brazil.

Métodos

A total of 162 individuals aged between 18 and 60 years participated in the study, including 93 men and 69 women (mean age = 30.0 ± 9.28 years; BMI = 24.7 ± 4.35). Volunteers responded online to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).

Resultados

The representativeness of the sample was evaluated with a 95% confidence level and an 8% margin of error. Individuals with high physical activity scores showed better sleep quality, as measured by the PSQI, compared to less physically active individuals, even after subcategorization between poor sleep quality (7.76 ± 1.78 vs. 9.30 ± 2.98) and good sleep quality (3.25 ± 1.66 vs. 4.60 ± 0.632) (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed in subjective sleep quality, assessed by the PSQI, between those with higher and lower levels of physical activity, assessed by the IPAQ; both in participants with poor sleep quality (1.11 ± 0.567 vs. 1.39 ± 0.656) and good sleep quality (0.500 ± 0.561 vs. 0.867 ± 0.640) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, more physically active individuals had shorter sleep latency compared to participants with both poor sleep quality (1.41 ± 1.02 vs. 2.04 ± 1.64) and good sleep quality (0.417 ± 0.604 vs. 0.933 ± 0.594) (p < 0.001).

Conclusões

In the studied group, individuals with higher levels of physical activity demonstrated better overall sleep quality compared to less physically active individuals. These results remain consistent when evaluating subjective sleep quality and sleep latency.

Palavras -chave

physical exercise, physical activity, sleep