Regular physical activity and insomnia: An international perspective

Area of Science:

• Sleep Science
• Public Health
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Both sedentary behavior and excessive physical activity are linked to poor sleep quality.
• Cross-national differences in physical activity may explain variations in insomnia prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess how weekly durations of moderate-intensity physical activity influence insomnia risk across diverse countries.
• To compare the impact of different physical activity levels on insomnia prevalence.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 9,238 adults from five countries (South Africa, Australia, China, South Korea, UK) provided demographic, sleep, physical activity, and health data via social media.
• Insomnia prevalence was determined using DSM-5 criteria.
• Logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the association between physical activity levels and insomnia risk, adjusting for various covariates.

Main Results:

• Insomnia prevalence varied from 4.1% in China to 14.8% in the UK.
• Very low physical activity (<10 min/week) was initially associated with increased insomnia risk (OR=1.37).
• Very high physical activity (>300 min/week) was consistently associated with significantly increased insomnia risk (OR=1.30-1.31) independent of country, health, and demographics, potentially confounding with demanding lifestyles.

Conclusions:

• Extremes in physical activity (both inactivity and high activity) significantly influence insomnia risk, irrespective of country.
• While very low activity's risk may be mediated by health and social factors, very high activity poses a risk independent of these, possibly due to lifestyle demands.