AEROBIC EXERCISE AND SELF-REPORTED SLEEP QUALITY IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between aer obic exercise, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness by examining vari ables that may be associated with exercise in improving sleep (i.e., a nxiety, depression, stress, and minor physical symptoms). Specifically , 33 sedentary and 46 exercising men and women (mean age 73, range 60- 82) were asked to complete questionnaires on sleep, anxiety, depressio n, stress, and minor physical symptoms. Next, subjects were asked to c omplete a 14-day sleep log. The groups did not differ on a number of c ontrol variables: age, gender, trait sociability, trait shyness, numbe r of social contacts, and body mass. Analyses revealed that the exerci se group had greater sleep quality in the form of greater sleep durati on, less sleep onset latency, and less daytime dysfunction. It was als o found that exercise seems to be related to sleep quality and daytime naps independent of the psychological variables; however, exercise se ems to be related to the other parameters of sleep by mediating the sa lience of the psychological variables.