Strength training could help older adults overcome insomnia

From aol.com

• As much as 50% of older adults have sleeping issues, including insomnia. 

• Insomnia can raise a person’s risk for a number of health concerns including cognitive impairment and risk of falls. 

• Lifestyle changes such as more physical activity can help treat insomnia. 

• A new study says that resistance or strength training might be the best exercise for improving insomnia in older adults.

Previous research shows that as many as 50% of older adults globally have sleeping difficulties, and it is not uncommon for adults aged 60 and older to have the sleep disorder insomnia. 

Past studies show that insomnia may increase a person’s risk for several health concerns, including heart disease, depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, and risk of falls.

There are a number of lifestyle changes that people can make that can help fight insomnia, such as avoiding caffeine a few hours before bedtime, keeping a consistent sleep schedule, stress management, and increasing daytime physical activity.

Now, a new review of the evidence recently published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health reports that resistance or strength training might be the best exercise for treating insomnia in older adults.

Which form of exercise is best for promoting sleep?

Strength training could be the best weapon against insomnia in older adults, a recent study advises. Image credit: Guille Faingold/Stocksy.

For this study, researchers analysed data from 24 previous studies and clinical trials, which amounted to more than 2,000 adults aged 60 and older, and had a diagnosis of insomnia.

The majority of studies had been conducted in Asia, as well as North America, Europe, and South America.

For this study, researchers focused on five types of exercise patterns:

• aerobic exercise, including dancing, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking

• bodyweight exercises, such as wall push-ups

• balance exercises, such as step-ups

• flexibility exercise, like gymnastics

• combination exercise, including yoga and Pilates.

More than half of study participants reported following mild to moderate or moderate exercise intensity, with sessions lasting about 50 minutes on average.

Most participants exercised two to three times a week, and their exercise programs lasted on average 14 weeks.

Strength, resistance training increase sleep quality the most

Scientists used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as a scale to measure participants’ sleep quality outcomes.

Upon analysis, researchers found that those following a combined exercise program significantly improved their PSQI score by 2.35 points, while those focusing on aerobic exercises decreased their PSQI scores by 4.36 points.

Overall, researchers found that strength and resistance training improved participants’ PSQI scores the most, by 5.75 points.

Medical News Today had the chance to speak with Vernon Williams, MD, sports neurologist and founding director of the Centre for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles, about this study.

“We know that impaired sleep reduces physical performance and cognitive performance,” Williams, who was not involved in the research, explained. “We have evidence that improved sleep predictably improves physical and cognitive performance.“

“It is pleasantly surprising to see additional evidence that there is a bidirectional relationship such that physical activity/exercise also improves sleep. There have been previous publications supporting this and it’s great to see additional evidence,” he noted.

“Moreover, we are rapidly acquiring more information and evidence regarding the benefits of resistance exercise,” Williams continued.

“I frequently speak with my middle-aged and elderly patients about the importance of combating sarcopenia and the critical importance of preventing falls, as well as the protective aspects of lean muscle mass during health crises. This further supports the importance of resistance training in addition to cardio, as well as balance and flexibility training,” the expert shared.

Further studies needed to understand how resistance training impacts sleep

MNT also spoke with Nadeem Ali, MD, an interventional pulmonology specialist with Hackensack University Medical Centre in New Jersey, who commented that while resistance exercise can be beneficial for overall health and helping to alleviate insomnia, it is important to note that it is rarely a standalone solution and will likely work best as part of a broader approach.

“Finding new ways to treat insomnia in older adults is crucial for a multitude of reasons, impacting both individual well-being and broader societal health because insomnia can significantly diminish quality of life, leading to daytime fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and reduced enjoyment of activities,” Ali, who likewise was not involved in the study, explained.

“While resistance training shows promise for improving sleep in older adults, more research is needed to fully understand its effects and determine the optimal exercise protocols. It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.”

– Nadeem Ali, MD

“Next steps [for this research] could include conducting long-term studies to assess the sustained effectiveness of different insomnia treatments in older adults and identify factors that predict long-term success and developing and testing strategies to help older adults maintain improvements in sleep habits and prevent relapse after completing treatment,” he added.

Important research for an aging population

Finally, Scott Kaiser, MD, a board-certified geriatrician and Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Centre in Santa Monica, CA, told MNT he was pleased to see research in this area as insomnia is a significant issue for countless people.

“Older adults have more significant insomnia than younger people, and the rates […] are just quite high,” Kaiser explained.

“And poor sleep has so many profound impacts on many aspects of our health and well-being, […] the management of other chronic conditions, and just healthy aging overall. Two things that are really critical for healthy aging [are] good quality sleep and maintaining regular physical activity. Excellent to see that the research ties these things together as two things that can go hand-in-hand to really benefit us immediately and over the long haul.”

– Scott Kaiser, MD

Kaiser also spoke of the importance for more research in this area due to our “unprecedented population aging where […] for the first time in human history we have more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18.”

“And when you consider all of the profound effects of insomnia and poor sleep quality on the overall health and well-being of older adults, and the connection with increased risks of dementia and other chronic diseases, this is just really critical,” he continued.

“If we don’t invest in this type of research now, it would be easy to say, ‘oh, well, who cares,’ or to be dismissive. But if we don’t increase our investment in this type of research now, there will be significant social, health, and economic repercussions for decades to come,” Kaiser cautioned.

https://www.aol.com/strength-training-could-help-older-070000312.html 

Late shifts, sedentary lifestyles, hyperconnectivity, stress: How work robs us of sleep

From english.elpais.com

Over time, our schedules encourage a sustained alteration in biological cycles. This translates into an alteration in sleep rhythms

Carlos O. N. is 44 years old and works for the Madrid Metro. He’s been pulling the night shift for 10 years. Before that, he worked the evening shift for five years, finishing at 2 a.m. He tells EL PAÍS that he sleeps between five and six hours a day. However, he clarifies that reaching six is pretty exceptional.

“Anyway, I have the feeling that it doesn’t matter how many hours you sleep, because they’re never as restorative,” he sighs. “Sleeping during the day doesn’t produce the same quality of rest as sleeping at night.”

At work, he explains, it’s common for colleagues on the night shift to chat about the amount of sleep they get. As a general rule, they tend to only get a few low-quality hours. “You go against the normal life of society,” Carlos adds. “And, if you want to adapt to it, you end up feeling sleepy; you drag along a sleep deficit that takes its toll on your body. Over the years, I’ve noticed a fairly significant deterioration.”

“Capitalism is killing us with sleep,” says Juan Antonio Madrid, a professor of Physiology and director of the Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory at the University of Murcia in Spain. During an interview with EL PAÍS, the expert laments that our society is plagued by “chronodisruption,” in which excessive light at night, long shifts, sedentary lifestyles, screen usage before going to sleep and distorted work and leisure schedules encourage a sustained, long-term alteration of biological rhythms. This ultimately translates into an alteration of sleep rhythms.

In his reflection, Madrid repeatedly refers to the impact that work schedules have on sleep.

According to the results of a recent study, non-standard work schedules — namely shift work, especially at night — together with sedentary jobs, are two of the most important threats to sleep health.

Specifically, non-standard shift work schedules correlate with a 66% higher risk of employees needing to “catch-up on sleep,” which is defined as frequent naps, or sleeping in on weekends. “The way we design work can pose serious, long-term threats to healthy sleep, which involves more than just getting eight hours. It also involves falling asleep easily, sleeping through the night and having a consistent sleep schedule,” says psychologist Claire Smith, a researcher at the University of South Florida and lead author of the study.

For María José Martínez Madrid — coordinator of the Chronobiology working group of the Spanish Sleep Society (SSS) — these results fully coincide with past scientific evidence, which indicates that night shifts and rotating shifts “make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep, while they reduce the duration and quality of sleep and cause alterations in circadian rhythms.”

In fact, the impact is such that shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is already recognized by the medical community. The disorder is characterized by the presence of insomnia and excessive sleepiness. Its development, the coordinator adds, is due to the desynchronization that occurs between work hours and the internal circadian clock: “When work is done at times that don’t coincide with the natural phases of sleep and wakefulness, a sleep debt accumulates. Holidays and/or weekends become the opportunity to compensate for this debt, although this recovery is never complete, since lost sleep isn’t recovered proportionally.”

In this regard, Martínez recommends that employees who work shifts maintain a sleep schedule that’s as regular as possible — even during days off — and plan strategic naps before or during night shifts. She also calls on companies to facilitate access to lounges and encourage the possibility of short naps during long shifts, while providing education on sleep hygiene and circadian health to their workers. And, whenever possible, firms should establish shifts that respect biological rhythms.

                                             Non-standard working hours, along with sedentary jobs, are two of the most significant threats to sleep health                                                                                                      Westend61 (Getty Images)

Sedentary work and insomnia

On the other hand, according to the study, sedentary work is linked to a 37% increase in insomnia symptoms among employees. “Millions of years of evolution have prepared us to be physically active and eat during the day — outside, when there’s light — and to look for a safe space to sleep and recover at night, when it’s dark. Sedentary work — especially if it’s done in spaces with little natural lighting and nothing reminiscent of nature — can break this pattern for which our body is prepared. Therefore, this can have a negative impact on night time rest,” argues Manuel de Entrambasaguas, a neurophysiologist at the Hospital Clínico de Valencia.

María José Martínez Madrid agrees, emphasizing that physical activity contributes to regulating the circadian system and favors the accumulation of sleep pressure throughout the day. Prolonged sedentary work, on the other hand, can reduce this pressure and, therefore, make it difficult to fall asleep. “Furthermore, the lack of exposure to natural light — which is common in sedentary office jobs — can alter the secretion of melatonin and the feeling of nighttime sleepiness,” she warns.

“A sedentary lifestyle makes us sick,” adds De Entrambasaguas, who points out that, frequently, after a long day — in which we’ve spent a lot of time sitting — a feeling of tiredness is overwhelming: “We’re looking forward to getting home to lie down on the sofa. But this is a bad, sick tiredness: the result of a lack of activity. It’s a very different feeling from the good tiredness we feel after doing sports, or having been active by walking or hiking, when we also generate endorphins.”

For this reason, the expert considers it essential to maintain minimum levels of activity at work, taking advantage of any opportunity to exercise. This recommendation is seconded by Martínez Madrid, who highlights the need to increase physical activity during the day, to expose oneself to natural light (especially in the mornings), to go to and from work by bike or on foot — when possible — and to take active breaks during the workday: “Getting up and moving for at least five minutes every hour can mitigate the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.”

Stress and 24-hour jobs

Crammed schedules and sedentary lifestyles aren’t the only ways in which work can affect night time rest. Daniel Madero, 42, has been working in Valencia for almost 20 years in a multinational technology company. He points out that, from the start, work affected his sleep, especially because of travel. However, this impact increased as he took on more responsibilities, had more people to supervise and was responsible for managing more complex projects with bigger clients.

This, he points out, has generated three situations that have directly affected his rest: “On the one hand, there are the marathon days, during which I’ve had to stay at the office until three in the morning solving a client’s problem. Then, I have to come back at nine. On the other hand, there’s stress and tension, all those problems that you have in your head, which make you go to bed with anxiety. Because of that, it’s impossible to fall asleep. And, finally, I have very restless sleep, with nightmares related to the problems I have at work,” he sighs.

“You end up building up so much stress, so much pressure, that you end up developing such a great panic about your job that it’s difficult for you to get up in the morning to face the day,” Madero laments.

According to a study published this past January, work stress — in the medium and long-term — is related to a notable increase in sleep disorders. Another study from 2023 also associated high-tension work with professionals who have short, unsatisfactory, inefficient and irregular sleep.

“Work stress causes hyperactivation of the mind. As a result, we spend the entire workday thinking about work problems, either for specific reasons, or as a discomfort or background noise. These thoughts — plus the unpleasant emotions and physical sensations that sometimes accompany them — can persist and even amplify in the stillness of the night,” Manuel de Entrambasaguas explains.

According to the neurophysiologist, this is combined with one of the characteristics of today’s societies: hyperconnectivity. This often leads to the “abusive invasion” of personal rest time, due to instant messages or work-related emails, which can promote the “hyperactivation of the mind, which is typical of insomnia.” Meanwhile, sitting in front of the computer at night to finish pending work tasks — in front of inadequate light sources — leads to insufficient sleep.

According to De Entrambasaguas, work stress and sleep have a bidirectional relationship, which can lead employees to fall into a kind of vicious circle. Stress at work — as scientific evidence shows — can cause a deterioration in sleep. And, in turn, the lack of restful sleep negatively affects our functioning the next day and can negatively interfere with the psychological mechanisms that allow us to solve tasks or problems. This generates stress at work, and — once again — non-restorative sleep. Ultimately, according to the results of a study published in 2019, this can have harmful implications for cardiovascular health. The combination of work stress and a lack of sleep increases the risk of coronary and cardiovascular mortality in workers with hypertension.

As the neurophysiologist notes, the available scientific evidence reliably links poor or insufficient sleep with a higher risk of accidents, absenteeism and presenteeism at work, comorbidity with other physical and mental illnesses, lower productivity, less creativity and worse relationships with colleagues and clients. “Based on this evidence,” he concludes, “it seems clear that taking care of sleep benefits everyone… both employers and employees.”

https://english.elpais.com/health/2025-03-09/late-shifts-sedentary-lifestyles-hyperconnectivity-stress-how-work-robs-us-of-sleep.html 

Insomnia, lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in teens

From newsroom.heart.org/news

Research Highlights:

• Teenagers who slept less than 7.7 hours in a sleep lab were observed to be almost three times more likely to have elevated blood pressure than well-rested peers.
• Those who reported insomnia and slept less than 7.7 hours in a sleep lab were five times more likely to have stage 2 hypertension when compared with well-rested peers.
• The study did not find a notable link between elevated blood pressure or stage 2 hypertension risk among adolescents who reported insomnia but slept 7.7 hours or more.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

NEW ORLEANS, March 6, 2025 — Teenagers who do not get the recommended amount of sleep may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting will be held in New Orleans, March 6-9, 2025, and features the latest science on population-based health and wellness and implications for lifestyle.

Poor sleep is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which claims more lives each year in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Statistical Update. Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, yet the average high school student is estimated to sleep only 6.5 hours per weeknight.

Researchers studied a diverse group of more than 400 teenagers from the Penn State Child Cohort. Participants in the study self-reported insomnia on a questionnaire prior to enrolling in the lab-based sleep study. In the nine-hour overnight sleep study, called a polysomnography, sensors were attached to each participant’s head, face and body to measure their sleep duration objectively. The study also included three consecutive blood pressure measurements taken on the night of the sleep study about two-to-three hours before lights were turned off in the lab.

“We know that disturbed and insufficient sleep is associated with high blood pressure in adults, particularly in adults who report insomnia and sleep objectively less than six hours, but we do not yet know if these associations exist in adolescents,” said senior study author Julio Fernandez-Mendoza, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry, neuroscience and public health sciences and director of behavioral sleep medicine at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The researchers defined insomnia as reporting difficulty falling and/or staying asleep and defined objective short sleep duration as less than 7.7 hours, based on the median total time asleep in the lab-based sleep study. Teenagers in the study were considered to have elevated blood pressure if they had a systolic, or top number, measurement of 120 mm Hg or higher and a diastolic, or bottom number, measurement of 80 mm Hg or lower. They were considered to have stage 2 hypertension if they had an average systolic blood pressure measurement of 140 mm Hg or higher and/or an average diastolic measure of 90 mm Hg or higher, which aligns with the Association’s 2017 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults.

The researchers found:

• Teenagers who self-reported insomnia and slept less than 7.7 hours in the lab were five times more likely to have clinical hypertension than “good sleepers“ (participants who did not report insomnia and obtained sufficient sleep in the lab, defined as 7.7 hours or more).
• Teenagers who slept less than 7.7 hours in the lab but did not report insomnia had nearly three times the risk of elevated blood pressure compared to the good sleepers.
• Teens who self-reported insomnia but obtained sufficient sleep in the lab did not appear to be at higher risk for elevated blood pressure or stage 2 hypertension.

These findings suggest the combination of insomnia and inadequate hours of sleep likely contributes to more severe conditions than lack of sleep alone, the researchers noted.

“While we need to explore this association in larger studies on teens, it is safe to say that sleep health matters for heart health, and we should not wait until adulthood to address it,” Fernandez-Mendoza said. “Not all teens who complain of insomnia symptoms are at risk for cardiovascular issues, however, monitoring their sleep duration objectively can help us identify those who have a more severe form of insomnia and are at-risk for heart problems.”

Improving one’s sleep health is something everyone can do to improve their cardiovascular health and is a key component of the Association’s Life’s Essential 8. The key components of Life’s Essential 8 include eating healthy food, being physically active, not smoking, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

“Our findings are important because they call attention to the need to listen to teens who complain of disturbed sleep, to monitor and assess their sleep objectively and help them improve it in order to prevent heart problems early,” said the study’s first author Axel Robinson, a 17-year-old senior at Pelham Memorial High School in Pelham, New York.

Robinson, whose high school offers a four-year science research program, read one of Fernandez-Mendoza’s scientific articles when he was in ninth grade and reached out to Fernandez-Mendoza, asking him to become his research mentor. “I have always been personally interested in insomnia, so I pursued two internships with Dr. Fernandez-Mendoza with the goal of learning more about the disorder. Insomnia had bothered me my entire life and I was able to overcome it thanks to what I learned and a therapist he recommended,” he said.

Study details, background and design:

• The study group included 421 participants (54% boys and 46% girls, average age 16.5 years) from three school districts in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area. 77% of participants self-identified as white; 13% self-identified as Black; 7% self-identified as Hispanic; and 3% selected “Other.”
• The overnight sleep study and blood pressure measurements occurred between 2010 and 2013, and data analyses were conducted between 2023 and 2024.
• Of the participants, 35% reported difficulty falling and/or staying asleep (insomnia symptoms) and 50% slept less than 7.7 hours in the lab (objective short sleep duration).
• Data was collected between 2010 and 2013 through self-reported questionnaires, a polysomnography (a sleep study conducted in a lab) and seated blood pressure measurements collected in the lab the same evening of the sleep studies.
• The Penn State Child Cohort is ongoing and collecting data from the same participants, now ages 20 to 33 years old.

The study’s limitations include that it was conducted in a sleep lab, so participants might not have slept as well as if they were at home. Additionally, because all data collection took place between 2010 and 2013, “It is uncertain whether there may be post-COVID increases in adolescent insomnia, depression and anxiety that could impact the results of other studies when replicated now,” Fernandez-Mendoza noted.

“This study adds to the limited knowledge base about the relation between poor sleep and risk of hypertension during a crucial life stage of development,” said Brooke Aggarwal, Ed.D., M.S., FAHA, an assistant professor of medical sciences in the department of medicine’s division of cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center and a member of the Association’s Lifestyle Sleep Health Science Committee.

“Prevention of heart disease is key, and it begins with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle in childhood and adolescence, including optimal sleep. Setting healthy sleep patterns during the teenage years could carry over into adulthood. Similarly, sleep problems that occur during the teen years tend to persist over time and could predispose individuals to increased cardiovascular risk later in life,” said Aggarwal, who was not involved in the study.

“Besides treatment for any clinical sleep disorders, teens can also practice good sleep hygiene, including creating relaxing bedtime routines, limiting electronics use in the hours before bedtime, avoiding heavy meals before bed, restricting caffeine and participating in daily physical activity.”

This year, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 9. Daylight saving time is the practice of setting the clocks an hour ahead of standard time to achieve longer evening daylight in the summer months. Following good sleep hygiene, as well as getting as much natural light as possible each day and winding down earlier in the evenings ahead, can help to get ahead of the time change.

“Many people, including teens, struggle to adjust and their sleep suffers. Before we all spring ahead, I’d encourage parents and teens to talk about the importance of sleep and make a plan to adjust schedules to ensure everyone gets adequate sleep,” Aggarwal said.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are here.

https://newsroom.heart.org/news/insomnia-lack-of-sleep-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-in-teens

Seniors with insomnia could benefit from weight training exercises

From upi.com/Health_News

Seniors battling insomnia are best off picking up some dumbbells or doing some push-ups, a new evidence review suggests.

Resistance exercise, activities that make muscles work against an external force, appears to be the best means of improving sleep in older adults, researchers found.

"Exercise that strengthens muscles, rather than aerobic or combination exercises, is the most effective way to enhance sleep quality," concluded the research team led by Dr. Kittiphon Nagaviroj, an associate professor with Ramathibodi Hospital at Mahidol University in Bangkok.

However, the review also found that aerobic exercise or a combination of strength, aerobic, balance and flexibility exercises can also be effective against insomnia, researchers reported Tuesday in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health.

Resistance exercise, activities that make muscles work against an external force, appears to be the best means of improving sleep in older adults, researchers found. Adobe stock/HealthDay

Sleep quality tends to decline with age, and up to 1 in 5 seniors has insomnia, seniors said in background notes.

Exercise has been shown to help alleviate insomnia, but it's not been clear what type of exercise would be most effective, researchers added.

For their review, the researchers pooled data from 25 previous clinical trials involving nearly 2,200 people.

The studies compared aerobic exercises -- cycling, dancing, swimming, brisk walking or gardening -- against resistance exercises, researchers said. Resistance exercise could include weightlifting or body-weight training like push-ups or planks.

People engaging in resistance exercises had 5.7-point average increase in their sleep quality scores, results show.

By comparison, aerobic exercise improved sleep quality scores by 3.7 points and combination exercise by 2.5 points.

"Exercise, particularly strengthening exercise and aerobic exercise, is beneficial for enhancing subjective sleep quality at a clinically significant level compared with normal activities," researchers concluded.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/03/05/thailand-seniors-sleep-weight-exercises/3471741204213/ 

How workplace bullying affects your and your partner’s wellbeing

From freemalaysiatoday.com

Distressing events at work can impact the affected person’s quality of sleep – and potentially that of those around them 

From stress and insomnia to loneliness and low morale, workplace bullying doesn’t just affect the physical and mental health of those exposed to it – it also invades their personal spheres. A British study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence reveals that workplace bullying disrupts victims’ sleep, with direct repercussions on their partners.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia studied the short-term impact of workplace bullying on several sleep indicators, including difficulty falling asleep, nighttime wakings and overall dissatisfaction with sleep. They observed two distinct groups: 147 employees monitored over five days; and 139 couples analysed over two months.

Their conclusions are clear: when employees are victims of bullying, they tend to think back over the conflictual situations they have experienced, trying to analyse and justify them. This incessant rumination, which seeks to help them make sense of what they’ve been through, only adds to their stress and compromises the quality of their sleep.

Employers have a role to play in establishing healthy corporate cultures and actively combating toxic behaviour. (Envato Elements pic)

“When individuals experience bullying at work, they may engage in rumination as a way to mentally process and attempt to cope with the negative events. However, this repeated thinking can lead to problems such as difficulties in falling and staying asleep, affecting sleep impact and satisfaction,” lead author Ana Sanz-Vergel explained.

And these sleep problems don’t stop with the victim – they also affect people’s other halves. Interrupted sleep, nocturnal awakenings and persistent feelings of tiredness can spread between the couple, creating a climate of shared tension and fatigue.

Repeatedly thinking about distressing events at work could lead to sleep difficulties, experts warn. (Envato Elements pic)

So, what can be done to combat this? The experts recommend both organisational and individual interventions.

For employers, it’s a matter of establishing a healthy corporate culture and actively combating toxic behaviour. For individuals, learning to disconnect from work outside office hours is an effective strategy for limiting rumination and, by extension, disturbed sleep.

Another avenue is preventive programmes for couples to help partners better manage the psychological consequences of workplace bullying. “This could help provide coping strategies to both members of the couple, which would in turn reduce rumination levels and insomnia,” Sanz-Vergel noted.

This study is a reminder that workplace bullying doesn’t stop at the company gates: it infiltrates the personal sphere and undermines individuals’ wellbeing. As such, it seems that preserving the mental health of employees can also help protect that of those around them.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/03/02/how-workplace-bullying-affects-your-and-your-partners-wellbeing/

Sleep Scientists Reveal How Often To Exercise To Reduce Insomnia Risk

From msn.com/en-us 

When it comes to exercise, consistency really is key—not just for weight loss, but also for getting enough sleep, according to a study.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the United States, affecting roughly one in three Americans, according to the University of Missouri. This is a significant public health concern as sleep is essential for our mental and physical wellbeing, and not getting enough has been shown to contribute to heart disease, obesity, neurodegenerative disorders and depression.

Numerous studies have suggested that regular physical activity promotes better quality sleep and may improve symptoms of chronic insomnia, but exactly how much exercise is required has not been totally understood.

In the latest study, published in the journal BMJ Open, researchers from across Europe, led by Reykjavik University in Iceland, set about answering this question by analysing data from 4,399 participants from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

Participants were asked questions on the frequency and duration of physical activity and symptoms of insomnia, nightly sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness. Individuals were classed as being physically active if they exercised at least two or more times per week for one hour a week or more.

The participants were selected from 21 different centres across nine European countries and, over the 10-year study period, 25 percent were persistently active, 18 percent became active, and 20 percent became inactive. A further 37 percent remained inactive, with less than one hour of exercise per week for the entire study period.

Those who were consistently active were slightly more likely to be men, younger and weigh slightly less than the other activity categories. Therefore, the researchers adjusted their results for age, sex, weight and smoking history. Even after these adjustments, participants who were persistently active two to three times per week over the study period were 42 percent less likely to find it difficult to fall asleep at night, and 22 percent less likely to have any symptom of insomnia.

Persistently active participants were also more likely to sleep for between six and nine hours, neither over nor under sleeping.

"Our results are in line with previous studies that have shown the beneficial effect of [physical activity] on symptoms of insomnia, but the current study additionally shows the importance of consistency in exercising over time, because the association was lost for initially active subjects who became inactive," the authors write.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/sleep-scientists-reveal-how-often-to-exercise-to-reduce-insomnia-risk/ar-BB1kAhg3?ocid=BingNewsBrowse

Turns out, napping isn’t just relaxing, it’s great for your heart too

From msn.com/en-my

WHILE napping is a simple way to recharge during the day, aside from opting for caffeine and similar options, research has revealed that it has greater benefits, particularly for heart health.

Sleeping is often linked to improving brain function and energy levels, but Sunway Medical Centre neurologist Dr Mohamad Imran Idris emphasises the critical role of napping in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF NAPPING

Diet and exercise are often seen as the pillars of heart health, maintaining good sleep habits can be just as impactful. Long-term studies tracking nappers and non-nappers over several years have shown that regular nappers have a lower risk of heart disease, according to Dr Imran.

"In cohort studies where researchers followed participants for five to six years, those who napped regularly were less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases compared to those who didn’t,” he said.

This shows that naps not only refresh the body but could also help to maintain healthy blood pressure, reduce stress and promote better heart function over time.

                                                            Turns out, napping isn’t just relaxing, it’s great for your heart too

COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND OVERALL BRAIN HEALTH

Dr Imran added that napping simultaneously benefits the heart and the brain, where reduced stress from napping helps the heart to stay healthy, among many other ways.

Naps help improve memory consolidation and learning ability, making them valuable for short-term and long-term cognitive function.

“In one study, participants were asked to memorise a list of 100 words. One group took a nap after, while the other group stayed awake. Later in the day, they were given a new list of words to learn.

“The results showed that those who napped performed better at learning the new list, proving that naps enhance memory retention and learning," he said.

But do keep in mind that napping requires specific timing in order to be beneficial. Napping too close to bedtime, according to Dr Imran, could reduce "sleep pressure" which would subsequently lead to difficulty falling asleep at night or insomnia.

“You should avoid napping too late in the evening because it can interfere with your natural sleep cycle,” he advised.

Instead, the ideal nap should be: between 1pm and 4 pm, when the body naturally experiences lower alertness and limited to 20-30 minutes to prevent entering deep sleep, which can cause grogginess.

For people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, dementia, or a history of strokes, Dr Imran reassures that napping could remain beneficial.

"For patients with heart disease, strokes, or even dementia, a well-timed nap can help improve overall well-being rather than cause harm, unless you have insomnia,” he said, adding that insomnia would not help those suffering from it to benefit from napping.

ADOPTING NAPPING AS A HABIT

Napping could be an important habit when done right to support heart health and brain function in the long run, other than being seen as a way to boost energy. Naps being far away from a sign of laziness need to be embraced as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The next time you feel a mid-day energy dip, take a short nap. A well-timed nap isn't just an energy booster—it’s a simple yet powerful way to support long-term heart and brain health.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/other/turns-out-napping-isn-t-just-relaxing-it-s-great-for-your-heart-too/ar-AA1yCOCb?cvid=E3916F73E1B94388BF279E96AF6D6F30&ocid=bingnewsserp