Recent studies indicate that 73% of adolescents report sleeping less than the prescribed 8-10 hours each night. Researchers in this latest study examined how teens could improve their sleep quantity and quality, finding moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the day to be the most positive indicator of sleep efficiency. This work differs from past research as it evaluates how both sedentary behavior and high activity impacts sleep each day.
The study found that for each additional hour of MVPA above a participant’s average, sleep onset was 18 minutes earlier and sleep duration increased by 10 minutes. Furthermore, findings indicate that when subjects exercised earlier than their average time of activity, their sleep onset was earlier and they slept longer. We’ll see how this study impacts the broader conversation surrounding school start-times, physical literacy, and practices times.