Exercise improves immune function, antidepressive response, and sleep quality in patients with chronic primary insomnia
Open accessAbstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of moderate aerobic exercise training on sleep, depression, cortisol, and markers of immune function in patients with chronic primary insomnia. Twenty-one sedentary participants (16 women aged 44.7 ± 9 years) with chronic primary insomnia completed a 4-month intervention of moderate aerobic exercise. Compared with baseline, polysomnographic data showed improvements following exercise training. Also observed were reductions in depression symptoms and plasma cortisol. Immunologic assays revealed a significant increase in plasma apolipoprotein A (140.9 ± 22 to 151.2 ± 22 mg/dL) and decreases in CD4 (915.6 ± 361 to 789.6 ± 310 mm(3)) and CD8 (532.4 ± 259 to 435.7 ± 204 mm(3)). Decreases in cortisol were significantly correlated with increases in total sleep time (r = -0.51) and REM sleep (r = -0.52). In summary, long-term moderate aerobic exercise training improved sleep, reduced depression and cortisol, and promoted significant changes in immunologic variables.
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One non-RCT in middle-aged adults with chronic insomnia found that reductions in cortisol were significantly correlated with increases in total sleep time and rapid eye movement sleep after a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention.
“one identified non-RCT in middle-aged adults with chronic insomnia, found that reductions in cortisol were significantly correlated with increases in total sleep time and rapid eye movement sleep (measured by polysomnography) after an aerobic exercise intervention of 12 weeks (Passos et al., 2014).”
From The effects of physical activity on cortisol and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) · cites this paper as Passos et al., 2014
The Results (§3.6) report significant correlations between decreases in cortisol and increases in polysomnographic total sleep time and REM sleep. The Discussion describes a within-subjects study without a control treatment, consistent with the non-RCT description. However, Methods (§2.2) says the aerobic exercise regimen lasted four months, not 12 weeks. (LLM, conf=0.92)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTreating symptoms of insomnia also improves symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
“To illustrate, treating symptoms of insomnia also improved symptoms of depression (93), anxiety, and stress (94–99).”
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The effects of physical activity on cortisol and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
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- Authors
- Passos, G. S., Poyares, D., Santana, M. G., Teixeira, A. A. D. S., Lira, F. S., Youngstedt, S. D., Santos, R. V. T. D., Tufik, S., & de Mello, M. T.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Goiás (BR)
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
- Phoenix VA Health Care System (US)
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Corresponding author
- Passos, Giselle Soares
- ORCID
- Venue
- BioMed Research International
- Publisher
- Hindawi Limited
- Published
- 2014
- Volume
- 2014
- Pages
- 1-7
- ISSN
- 1110-7243 (ISSN-L)
- 2314-6133
- 2314-6141
- PMC
- PMC4189910
- OpenAlex
- W2135481666
- Cited by
- 99
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 4.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- BioMed Research International (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Arizona State University Library Digital Repository (Arizona State University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Acervo Digital da Universidade Estadual Paulista (Universidade Estadual Paulista) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (98/14303-3, 2008/02862-1)
- Associação Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa (98/14303-3, 2008/02862-1)
- Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e Exercício (98/14303-3, 2008/02862-1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- aerobic exercise training, chronic primary insomnia, depression, sleep quality, cortisol, immune function, apolipoprotein(a), CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, REM sleep, total sleep time, sedentary adults
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Depression, Exercise Therapy, Female, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Male, Middle Aged, Sleep, Cytokines, Treatment Outcome, Physical Conditioning, Human
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