Cited by 412Sleep and related disordersSleep and Wakefulness ResearchSleep and Work-Related Fatigue

The effects of acute exercise on sleep: a quantitative synthesis

Youngstedt, Shawn D., O'Connor, Patrick J., Dishman, Rod K.·1997·Sleep

Abstract

We used meta-analytic methods to examine the influence of acute exercise on sleep. Thirty-eight studies were reviewed yielding 211 effects on 401 subjects. Mean effect sizes were calculated for sleep onset latency (SOL), stage 2, slow-wave sleep (SWS), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, REM latency (REM-L), total sleep time (TST), and wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO). Moderating influences of subject fitness, heat load, exercise duration, time of day, associated light environment (i.e. indoor or outdoor), sleep schedule, and the scientific quality of the studies were examined. Effect sizes for SWS, REM, REM-L, and TST were moderate [0.18-0.52 standard deviation (SD)] and their associated 95% confidence intervals did not include zero. Exercise duration and time of day were the most consistent moderator variables. In contrast with previous hypotheses, heat load had little influence on sleep. The results of our quantitative synthesis of the literature are inconsistent with previous narrative reviews (1,2) which suggested that exercise elicits larger changes in sleep than those quantified in this meta-analysis. A major delimitation of published studies on the effects of acute exercise has been an exclusive focus on good sleepers. Hence, the effects we report herein may be underestimates of the efficacy of exercise for enhancing sleep among people with sleep disturbances.

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Crossref · 10.1093/sleep/20.3.203

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Authors
Youngstedt, S. D., O'Connor, P. J., & Dishman, R. K.
Affiliations
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • University of Georgia (US)
Corresponding author
Youngstedt, Shawn D.
Venue
Sleep
Published
1997-03
Volume
20
Issue
3
Pages
203-214
ISSN
  • 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-9109
OpenAlex
W1880379006
Cited by
412
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 21
FWCI
12.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • SLEEP (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Scholar Commons (University of South Carolina) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5f32ns009816-02)
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG012364, AG-12364)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH 00117)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS09816-01)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
Keywords
acute exercise, sleep latency, slow-wave sleep, REM sleep, REM latency, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, exercise duration, time of day, heat load, sleep disorders, sleep quality
MeSH terms
Body Temperature, Humans, Light, Physical Fitness, Sleep, Sleep Stages, Time Factors, Exercise, Epidemiologic Factors, Polysomnography

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