Effects of physical activity and exercise on sleep quality in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep quality will decline in postmenopausal women. So it is necessary to take steps to improve sleep quality. This study was performed with aim to investigate the effects of physical activity and exercise on sleep quality in postmenopausal women. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 80 active and inactive postmenopausal women in Shiraz in 2016. The activeness criteria was having at least three one-hour sessions of physical activity per week. Data was collected by demographic characteristics questionnaire and standard questionnaire of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 18) and Mann-Whitney U test. PResults: The active postmenopausal women compared to inactive postmenopausal women were in better position in terms of sleep mental quality (p=0.001), delay in falling asleep (p=0.001), the efficiency and effectiveness of sleep (p=0.005), sleep disorders (p=0.004), the hypnotic drug consumption (p=0.03), the overall quality of sleep (p=0.001). But, no significant difference was observed in the scale of the duration of falling asleep (p=0.42) and morning dysfunction (p=0.44). Conclusion: Postmenopausal women with regular physical activity can improve their sleep quality which is one of the basic needs of every human.

Keywords

• aging
• menopause
• physical activity
• sleep quality