1. Introduction
fatigue, sleep disorder, insomnia, Insomnia, insomniacs
CHRONIC INSOMNIA
Background: Exercise represents a viable non-pharmacological intervention to help treating insomnia but the interaction mechanisms between sleep and physical activity still remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a aerobic exercise training intervention on sleep and core temperature. Methods: Twenty-four adult women suffering from insomnia participated in this study. They were randomized into an exercise group and a control group. Aerobic exercise training consisted in moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise training for 12 weeks. Outcome measures included both subjective (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI) and objective (actigraphy recordings) sleep quality assessments, and core body temperature continuously recorded for a minimum 24 h. Results: The exercise group showed a decrease in ISI (Chronic insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in initiating and maintaining sleep, early awakenings and non-restorative sleep, leading to alterations during the day such as fatigue, altered mood, concentration problems and poorer quality of life [Drug therapy is currently the most prescribed treatment for insomnia. However, sleeping pills may cause deleterious side effects and are not recommended for a long-term use. Thus, various non-pharmacological therapies have been developed, including cognitive and behavioral therapies [The mechanisms by which physical activity might reduce the symptoms of insomnia are not yet well identified [The first aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12-week aerobic exercise training intervention on insomnia severity and objective sleep in adult women suffering from insomnia. Indeed, the effect of a physical activity program on insomnia symptoms is well documented, and articles point to a decrease in insomnia symptoms through exercise. However, the results on the effect of a physical activity program on objective sleep parameters in insomniacs are less conclusive. Thus, our study brings new results on this debate. The second objective was to identify some potential interaction mechanisms of the association between insomnia and exercise with a special focus on the core temperature. Knowledge of these interaction mechanisms could help to identify the optimal exercise modalities to reduce insomnia and allow the optimization of PA programs by inducing identified and specific adaptations.