Getting enough sleep? Chances are you're not.
Fortunately, there's a new study out that shows the path to better sleep. It's right in front of us, consistent with previous research, and offers other benefits for our health. In a word: exercise.
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According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, upward of 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, and about 84 million do not get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep to stay healthy. "Dismal" is how the organization characterize the state of sleep health in America.
Others agree. The Sleep Foundation reports that more than one-third of adults average less than seven hours of sleep each night, with around 75% of older adults showing symptoms for insomnia. A 2022 Gallop survey found that only 32% of Americans said their sleep was excellent or very good, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that almost 15% of adults have trouble falling asleep, with women having slightly more likely to have trouble.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommend that adults regularly get seven or more hours per night for optimal health. When adults get less, they risk adverse health effects including weight gain, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression and increased risk of death.
How poor sleep impacts men's health – and why exercise can help
With many men experiencing poor quality sleep, it is important to look specifically at the impact on men's health.
A study reported in the journal Translational Andrology and Urology found that poor sleep worsened symptoms of erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms and low testosterone symptoms. Men with too little or too much sleep appeared to be at greater risk for infertility than those who got adequate sleep. And while researchers found lack of sleep did not itself cause a reduction in testosterone levels, insufficient sleep negatively impacted hypogonadal symptoms like poor libido, low energy and decreased strength.
Still, other research suggests that the amount and quality of sleep that men get has a direct impact on the their testosterone levels.
There are many treatments used for sleep disorders. Among the most common cited by The Cleveland Clinic include following a regular sleep schedule and proper sleep hygiene, medications like sleeping pills and supplements such as melatonin, and a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
However, a new study published in the journal BMJ Open suggests regular exercise is one of the best things that you can do to get a good night's sleep. Researchers at Reykjavik University in Iceland tracked 4,339 people ages 39 to 67 from nine European countries over 10 years. Nearly half were men.
"Physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms," the researchers wrote, stressing the "importance of consistently exercising over time."
The study found people who exercised two to three times a week – at least one hour in total – were 42% less likely to have trouble falling asleep, 22% less likely to have symptoms of insomnia and 55% more likely to get the recommended hours of sleep per night. The Sleep Foundation reports that both aerobic exercise and resistance or strength training (weight lifting) can improve sleep quality and nightly rest.
The ripple effect of good sleep
So, if you commit to exercising at least an hour a week and improving your sleep, are there any other health benefits? The answer is an overwhelming yes.
The ripple effects of getting a good night's sleep are profound. Tufts University explains that sleep is so essential to our physical and mental well-being that it is widely characterized as the third pillar of health along with diet and exercise. According to Tufts, sleep impacts our energy, appetite, performance, mood, attention, memory and decision making. Pathways that let us learn and create new memories while removing toxins are created while we sleep.
Scientists at the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School report that "sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions." The University of Michigan echoes Harvard, calling the broad impact of sleep "essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk." Not a bad return on an investment in exercise, but there's more.
While consistent exercise can help us sleep, and good sleep generates a host of physical and mental health benefits, regular exercise produces a wide range of health benefits that extend far beyond sleep. I call this the multiplier of exercise.
Regular exercise is one of the best things we can do for our overall health. According to the CDC, physical activity "can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities."
Looking at aerobic exercise like walking, bicycling or swimming, the Mayo Clinic says regular aerobic activity, can help you live longer and provide a long list of benefits including strengthening your heart, warding off viral illnesses, losing weight and keeping it off, and boosting your mood.
As an advocate for men's health, my mission is to highlight anything that may motivate men to adopt healthy behaviors. With so many men (and women) searching for a way to get a good night's sleep, this new study linking sleep and exercise may just provide the impetus for action.
No pills, no masks – just good, old-fashioned exercise as a remedy. And while sleep may be what triggers people to act, the additional benefits associated with good sleep and exercise create a win-win proposition with the potential to sustain the healthy habits over the long haul. It's the ultimate payback that will have you sleeping like a baby.