Free AccessLetters to the EditorIs sleep a barrier to physical activity practice? Heloisa B. Valente, MSc, Priscila K. Morelhão, PhD, Monica L. Andersen, PhD, Sergio Tufik, MD, PhD, Luiz Carlos M. Vanderlei, PhD Heloisa B. Valente, MSc Address correspondence to: Heloisa Balotari Valente, MSc, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), Rua Roberto Simonsen, 305, Centro Educacional, Presidente Prudente - SP, CEP: 19060-900. Email: E-mail Address: [email protected] Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil Search for more papers by this author , Priscila K. Morelhão, PhD Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil Search for more papers by this author , Monica L. Andersen, PhD Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil Search for more papers by this author , Sergio Tufik, MD, PhD Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil Search for more papers by this author , Luiz Carlos M. Vanderlei, PhD Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP), Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil Search for more papers by this author Published Online:April 1, 2023https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.10482SectionsPDF ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations AboutINTRODUCTIONWe are writing to discuss the role of sleep as a barrier to the practice of physical activity and emphasize the need for further investigation on the subject. A review that sought to identify barriers and facilitators to performance of physical activity showed that sleep and fatigue were reported as reasons for not being physically active.1A large prospective study involving 38,601 people revealed the existence of a bidirectional association between sleep and physical activity.2 The mechanism behind this relationship is still unclear. Chronic sleep deprivation can impair the practice of physical activity both due to direct factors, such as fatigue and sleepiness, and indirect factors, such as mood and reduced vigilance.3 In addition, this condition is related to increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, insulin resistance, and decreased glucose tolerance, considered contributors to exhaustion.3 As for the connection between exercise and sleep improvement, there are 3 hypotheses that strive to explain it: (1) thermoregulation, (2) body restoration, and (3) energy conservation.4 After the increase in temperature triggered by physical exercise, the thermoregulatory mechanism is activated and promotes a decline in body temperature.3 This enables the onset of sleep and facilitates entry into deeper stages of sleep.3 In addition, it is found that exercise performed periodically provides a more regular reduction in body temperature that favors sleep.3 Currently less influential, the theory of body restoration predicts that “the conditions for anabolic activity during sleep are favored by high catabolic activity during wakefulness”4. While the theory of energy conservation states that there is an energy balance that must be maintained; greater energy expenditure, therefore, will require greater rest.4 Moreover, exercise improves mood and has anxiolytic and antidepressant effects that can aid in sleep improvement.3The characterization of sleep as a barrier to the practice of physical activity is clinically significant. Today, about one-third of the world’s adult population does not follow the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity. Furthermore, sleep deprivation is a characteristic of modern industrialized society.5 Considering the function of sleep in the conservation and restoration of energy, and the evidence on the influence of sleep on the practice of physical activity, we understand that more attention should be given by health professionals to the role of sleep as a barrier to being physically active.We would like to highlight the need for interventions aimed at improving the quality and duration of sleep. We believe that simple and low-cost instruments, such as questionnaires and sleep diaries, should be used in clinical practice to assess sleep for individuals who plan to start a physical activity program. In addition, therapeutic approaches such as sleep extension and sleep hygiene can help improve sleep, which can, in turn, have an important effect in the context of public health by promoting increased physical activity.DISCLOSURE STATEMENTAll authors have seen and approved the manuscript. Our studies are supported by grants from the Associacão Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa (AFIP). M.L.A. and S.T. are Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) fellowship recipients. H.B.V. is supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brazil (CAPES), Finance Code 001. The authors report no conflicts of interest.REFERENCES1. Nikolajsen H, Sandal LF, Juhl CB, Troelsen J, Juul-Kristensen B. Barriers to, and facilitators of, exercising in fitness centres among adults with and without physical disabilities: a scoping review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7341 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. Huang BH, Hamer M, Duncan MJ, Cistulli PA, Stamatakis E. The bidirectional association between sleep and physical activity: a 6.9 years longitudinal analysis of 38,601 UK Biobank participants. Prev Med. 2021;143:106315 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. Chennaoui M, Arnal PJ, Sauvet F, Léger D. Sleep and exercise: a reciprocal issue? Sleep Med Rev. 2015;20:59–72 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. Driver HS, Taylor SR. Exercise and sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2000;4(4):387–402 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. Andersen ML, Tufik S. Sleep and the modern society. J Sleep Disord Ther. 2015;4(5):e131 . CrossrefGoogle Scholar Previous article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 19 • Issue 4 • April 1, 2023ISSN (print): 1550-9389ISSN (online): 1550-9397Frequency: Monthly Metrics History Submitted for publicationDecember 14, 2022Submitted in final revised formDecember 21, 2022Accepted for publicationDecember 21, 2022Published onlineApril 1, 2023 Information© 2023 American Academy of Sleep MedicinePDF download