Hybrid Exercise Intervention On Sleep Patterns Among Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Sleep duration is linked to increased mortality rate, especially in rural older adults compared to nonrural older adults. Poor sleep quality is strongly related to increased risks for developing chronic diseases. Evidence suggests the positive impact of exercise on sleep quality in older adults. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of a 3-week hybrid exercise intervention on sleep patterns in rural community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This study was a pre-experimental pilot study. A total of 11 older women (age = 80.55 ± 8.90 years; height = 153.96 ± 5.83 cm; weight = 76.41 ± 11.50 kg) were recruited from a community-based senior center in the rural northwest Wisconsin. Participants were asked to wear an accelerometer on the wrist of their dominant hand and an inclinometer on the mid-thigh of their non-dominant leg over a 7-day period for 24 hours each day, except when bathing. Total sleep time (TST), total time to sleep, sleep efficiency, total number of awakenings, and average length of awakenings were obtained from the devices at baseline (BL) and during the third week of the hybrid exercise intervention (DI), which comprised of a weekly 1-hour virtual education session on exercise modes, physiological benefits of exercise, and nutrition and a weekly 90-minute in-person exercise session over a 3-week period. In-person exercise sessions were designed for lower functional fitness levels that incorporated muscle strengthening exercises using elastic exercise bands and light free weights, balance and flexibility exercises, many of which were completed in seated position. Paired samples t tests were employed to examine the changes in sleep variables from BL to DI. RESULTS: Daily TST obtained from a thigh-worn inclinometer significantly increased from BL (7.47 ± 0.87 hours/night) to DI (8.15 ± 1.02 hours/night), t(7) = 2.78, p = .027. Time to sleep, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, average length of awakening remained unchanged (p < .05). Physical activity and postural changes did not change significantly, except for daily standing time which decreased from BL (346.03 ± 212.38 min/day) to DI (200.54 ± 212.96 min/day), t(10) = 2.26, p = .047. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot test demonstrated the feasibility of a 3-week hybrid intervention to improve daily sleep duration by approximately 40 minutes among rural older adults. Supported by: Small Research Grant, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UW-Eau Claire