Aerobic versus resistance exercises on systemic inflammation and sleep parameters in obese subjects with chronic insomnia syndrome

BACKGROUND: Chronic primary insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder that is associated with adverse effects on health outcomes. Exercise is often considered a non-pharmacological approach that could have beneficial effects on sleep. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the impact of aerobic and resistance exercise training on quality of sleep and inflammatory markers among subjects with chronic primary insomnia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty previously sedentary subjects with chronic primary insomnia subjects enrolled in this study, their age ranged from 31–52 years. All participants were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise intervention group (group A, n=35) or resistance exercise intervention group (group B, n=35). Polysomnographic recordings for sleep quality assessment, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were measured before and at the end of the study after six months. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the total sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency and IL-10 in group(A) and group (B) in addition to significant reduction in awake time after sleep onset, REM latency, IL-6 and TNF-α after 6 months of aerbic and resistance exercise training. However, there were significant differences between both groups at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise training is more appropriately than resistance exercise training in modulation of inflammatory and sleep quality among subjects with chronic primary insomnia.