Strength Training and Walking Exercise and Social Activity Improve Sleep in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Residents: Randomized Controlled Trial
By Richards, Cathy C.; Lambert, Corinne; Beck, Cornelia K.; Bliwise, Donald L.; Evans, William J.; Kalra, Gurpreet K.; Kleban, Morton H.; Lorenz, Rebecca; Rose, Karen; Gooneratne, Nalaka; Sullivan, Dennis H.; Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Volume 59, Number 2, pages 214-223Publication Date: February 2011
Study explored the effects of physical resistance strength training and walking (E), individualized social activity (SA), and both E and SA (ESA) compared to a usual care control group on total nocturnal sleep time in nursing home and assisted living residents. Participants were 193 residents from 10 nursing homes and 3 assisted living facilities. The study used a pretest-posttest experimental design with random assignment to 1 of 4 groups for 7 weeks: (1) E group comprising 55 participants, (2) SA group comprising 50 participants, (3) ESA group comprising 41 participants, or (4) 47-member control group. A total of 165 participants completed the study. The E group participated in high intensity physical resistance strength training 3 days a week and on 2 days waked for up to 45 minutes. Resistance training consisted of hip extensions performed on a hip extension/leg press chair and arm extensions in a chest press chair; both machines were pneumatic resistance devices producing an isotonic force. The SA group received social activity 1 hour daily 5 days a week. The ESA group received both E and SA, and the control group participated in usual activities provided in the homes. Total nocturnal sleep time was measured by 2 nights of polysomnography at pre and post intervention. Sleep efficience, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, and sleep onset latency were also analyzed. Total nocturnal sleep time significantly increased in the ESA group over that of the control group, as did SE and NREM sleep.
Published by: Blackwell Publishing, Incorporated (Website: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com)
Link to text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3124380/?tool=pmcentrez
