A study has revealed that people who suffer from insomnia should exercise.
In a study of more than 30,000 middle-aged adults, scientists from the University of Science and Technology in Norway found that activities that regularly get their heart rate up make them less likely to need sleep aids.
According to the news in the Daily Mail, the researchers wanted to find out if physical health affects the likelihood of using sleeping pills.
They used data from a national health study that measured the heart rate, waist circumference, and self-reported levels of physical activity of 34,357 people aged 52, on average.
THOSE WHO ARE IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION DID NOT LOOK FOR SLEEPING PILLS
The results of the study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, show that 5,800 volunteers sought sleeping pills during the 14-year study.
This means that about 17 percent of participants' sleep problems were serious enough to require a doctor to prescribe sleeping pills.
But participants who were in their best physical condition and exercised the most used these prescription sleep pills less often.
Active men over the age of 65 were least likely to seek sleeping pills, suggesting they benefited the most from exercise.
The findings show that the fittest men have a 15 percent lower risk of needing medication for disturbing sleep problems. However, sleeping pill intake was up 12 percent among the fittest women. But the researchers insist this doesn't mean that women won't see the benefits of exercise while they sleep.
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