A tele-exercise program to increase total sleep time in hypertensive old women: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: Although hypertensive older adults require physical activity, their ability to leave the house may be limited. This study’s primary objective was to determine the effect of live-streamed tele-exercise (LSTE) on the sleep quality of hypertensive older women. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial included hypertensive older women aged 60 to 79 years who were receiving drug treatment, had not been diagnosed with sleep disorders, and were not taking sedatives or hypnotics. They were evaluated with the Timed Up and Go test, the 4.6 m walk test, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and actigraphy. They were randomly assigned to a control or an LSTE group and were reassessed after 10 weeks. The LSTE group performed at least 30 exercise sessions consisting of live-streamed online sessions held twice a week and one recorded session, while the control group was monitored through a message group. Results: The mean participant age was 69.7 (SD 4.9) years. Timed Up and Go results were lower in the LSTE group (p = 0.046), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were reduced in both groups. According to the actigraphy results, sleep time increased in the LSTE group (from 372.4 [SD 92.7] to 428.7 [SD 67.4] min, p = 0.044) and sleep efficiency reached a value of > 85%. Conclusions: In hypertensive older women, a 10-week low-to-moderate intensity LSTE program resulted in increased total sleep time.