Exercise and Insomnia Study: The Effects of 1 Week of Exercise Training on Insomnia Severity
Condition: Insomnia Chronic; Insomnia, Primary
MeSH terms: Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      It has been hypothesized that exercise may have a beneficial effect on sleep quality and
      insomnia severity in those who have insomnia symptoms as well as those who meet diagnostic
      criteria for insomnia disorder (e.g., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th edition (DSM-5)).
      Yet, the studies that have tested this are extremely limited in number and even fewer explore
      any acute effects of exercise training on subjects who meet diagnostic criteria. Thus, the
      investigators propose to conduct a randomized parallel design to compare the effects of
      short-term moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on insomnia severity and measures of sleep in
      a sample of adults who meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia.
    

Detailed description: 
      Limited experimental research has explored the effects of acute exercise training (< 1 week
      of exercise) on sleep and daytime impairment in samples of adults who meet diagnostic
      criteria for insomnia. In response to the current literature, the investigators aim to better
      understand the short-term clinical benefit of adopting exercise training in insomnia.
      Including multiple bouts of exercise in a short time span while measuring sleep with
      objective and self-reported measures may be more reflective of capturing true acute effects
      of exercise implementation on insomnia. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized
      parallel design to compare the effects of short-term moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on
      insomnia severity and measures of sleep in a sample of adults who meet diagnostic criteria
      for insomnia. This project will address prior limitations in the area of acute exercise
      research by utilizing a sample with diagnosed insomnia, assessing multiple nights of sleep,
      and implementing multiple bouts of exercise stimuli. This project will examine the following
      aims:

      Aim 1: To examine if implementing 1 week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves
      objective and subjective sleep compared to 1 week without exercise in a sample of adults who
      meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia.

      Aim 2: To examine if implementing 1 week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise reduces
      severity of daytime impairment compared to 1 week without exercise in a sample of adults who
      meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia.
    

Intervention name(s): Outdoor Walking; Quiet Rest
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other
Intervention description(s): Unsupervised outdoor walking will be the mode used for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The walking intervention will consist of 3 sessions (completed within the span of 7 days) that are conducted in the morning.; The quiet rest condition will consist of watching a nature documentary in a quiet room. The quiet rest intervention will consist of 3 sessions (completed within the span of 7 days) that are conducted in the morning.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care