Exercise Plus Sleep Coaching May Improve Sleep Quality in Young Women: Study

Struggling with poor sleep? A new study on young women shows combining exercise with sleep coaching significantly improves sleep quality and health. Discover the key findings.

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A recent study shows that pairing regular exercise with sleep coaching may greatly improve sleep quality and general health in young women. Researchers from the Education University of Hong Kong examined how lifestyle adjustments especially physical activity and digital sleep guidance affect sleep among adults under the age of 30.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, comes at a time when insomnia is on the rise globally. Inadequate sleep can negatively affect both physical and mental health, increasing the risk of conditions like heart disease, obesity, and depression.

How Was the Study Conducted?

To find effective solutions, the research team carried out a clinical trial involving 112 women between the ages of 18 and 30 who experienced poor sleep and led mostly inactive lives. The participants were split into four groups: one group followed both an exercise programme and sleep coaching, another group did exercise only, a third group received sleep coaching only, and the final group made no changes to their routine.

The exercise programme included high-intensity circuit training, which uses fast, full-body movements and body weight instead of heavy gym equipment. Participants attended three sessions per week for eight weeks, with each workout lasting between 40 and 60 minutes.

Sleep Coaching

The sleep coaching was provided through the Resleep smartphone app, which is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. At the start of the study, participants who received coaching had a 30-minute session with a trained researcher and were given personalized advice to improve their sleep habits.

The results showed that combining exercise with sleep coaching had the most positive impact. Women in this group experienced better sleep efficiency, spending about 5.6 percent more of their time in bed actually asleep. They also spent roughly 30 minutes less awake during the night and reported feeling less restless.

The researchers also evaluated cardiometabolic markers such as waist size, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Participants who exercised either alone or with sleep coaching showed a reduction in waist circumference and healthier cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

While these findings are encouraging, the authors emphasize that the study only included young women in China. More research involving men and older adults is necessary before these results can be widely applied.