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European Journal of Applied Physiology
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology 9/2014

01-09-2014 | Original Article

Sleep onset is disrupted following pre-sleep exercise that causes large physiological excitement at bedtime

Authors: Shiro Oda, Kazuki Shirakawa

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 9/2014

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Abstract

Purpose

Many studies have failed to show that pre-sleep exercise has a negative effect on sleep onset. However, since only a moderate level of physiological excitement was observed at bedtime in these studies, it remains unclear whether a larger magnitude of physiologic excitement present at bedtime would disrupt sleep onset. This study compared the effects of pre-sleep exercise, which led to different levels of physiologic excitement at bedtime (moderate and heavy), on sleep onset.

Methods

Twelve active young men underwent non-exercise, moderate-intensity exercise, and high-intensity exercise conditions. The subjects maintained a sedentary condition on a reclining seat throughout the day. On the non-exercise day, the subjects remained seated at rest until going to bed. On the moderate- and high-intensity exercise days, the subject exercised for 40 min (21:20–22:00) at 60 and 80 % heart rate reserve, respectively. Sleep polysomnography, core body and skin temperatures, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded.

Results

We observed a delay in sleep onset (+14.0 min, P < 0.05), a marked physiological excitement at bedtime as reflected by an increased HR (+25.7 bpm, P < 0.01), and a lower high-frequency power of HRV (−590 ms2, P < 0.01) only on the high-intensity exercise day.

Conclusions

These results indicate that pre-sleep vigorous exercise, which causes a large physiologic excitement at bedtime, might disrupt the onset of sleep.
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Metadata
Title
Sleep onset is disrupted following pre-sleep exercise that causes large physiological excitement at bedtime
Authors
Shiro Oda
Kazuki Shirakawa
Publication date
01-09-2014
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 9/2014
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2873-2

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