Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Sleep–Wake Behaviors in Sedentary Elderly Adults with Mobility Limitations

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of structured physical activity on sleep-wake behaviors in sedentary community-dwelling elderly adults with mobility limitations. DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized trial of moderate-intensity physical activity versus health education, with sleep-wake behaviors prespecified as a tertiary outcome over a planned intervention period ranging from 24 to 30 months. SETTING: Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling persons aged 70 to 89 who were initially sedentary and had a Short Physical Performance Battery score less than 10 (N = 1,635). MEASUREMENTS: Sleep-wake behaviors were evaluated using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) (≥8 defined insomnia), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (≥10 defined daytime drowsiness), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (>5 defined poor sleep quality) administered at baseline and 6, 18, and 30 months. RESULTS: The randomized groups were similar in terms of baseline demographic variables, including mean age (79) and sex (67% female). Structured physical activity resulted in a significantly lower likelihood of having poor sleep quality (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for PSQI >5 = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68-0.94), including fewer new cases (aOR for PSQI >5 = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54-0.89), than health education but not in resolution of prevalent cases (aOR for PSQI ≤5 = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.90-1.43). No significant intervention effects were observed for the ISI or ESS. CONCLUSION: Structured physical activity resulted in a lower likelihood of developing poor sleep quality (PSQI >5) over the intervention period than health education but had no effect on prevalent cases of poor sleep quality or on sleep-wake behaviors evaluated using the ISI or ESS. These results suggest that the benefit of physical activity in this sample was preventive and limited to sleep-wake behaviors evaluated using the PSQI.