Insomnia is defined as persistent difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep, despite adequate sleep opportunities, 1 and is considered to be the most common sleep disorder during adolescence, with an estimated prevalence ranging from 6% to 30% in this age group. 1 Previous research has shown that insomnia is associated with symptoms of depression, substance abuse, poor school performance, mood disorders, 2,3 social withdrawal and loneliness, 4 lower emotional regulation, 5,6 anxiety and suicidal thoughts. 7 Despite the recommendations that adolescents should sleep for 8 to 10 hours per day, 8 few young people achieve sufficient amounts of sleep, 9 which converges on a secular trend of reduced sleep duration among children and adolescents. 10 This scenario highlights insomnia as an important public health issue, as well as demonstrating the need to establish effective and suitable ways to address this problem during adolescence.In this regard, the scientific literature provides arguments for different strategies for treating insomnia, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. 11,12 However, although similar efficacy has been demonstrated between these therapies for treating insomnia, 13 both of them are difficult to apply on a large scale, especially in the context of developing countries. 14 Thus, studies have pointed towards physical activity (PA) as a possible low-cost strategy for reducing the effects of insomnia among adolescents. 15 In a meta-analysis on 12 studies that investigated the relationship between PA and sleep among adolescents, it was concluded that individuals with higher PA levels, assessed subjectively and objectively, were more likely to present better sleep quality. 16 Furthermore, the results from a clinical review demonstrated that moderate aerobic exercise training could be prescribed as pertinent non-pharmacological treatment for sleep
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.