IMPLEMENTATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH PERSISTENT INSOMNIA - A NATURALISTIC PILOT STUDY

Physical exercise has favourable effects on sleep, and poor sleep may reduce daytime functioning. Current evidence-based guidelines recommend regular weekly aerobic exercise of moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes and muscle strengthening training twice a week. For insomnia patients, moderate activity is optimal. Evidence-based cognitive behavioural treatment is increasingly available, but experiences about applicability of guided physical activity as an add-on treatment in standard care are scarce. In this naturalistic pilot study, we screened for insufficient physical activity among treatment-resistant insomnia patients and conducted an intervention of exercise training with them. Despite pandemic- and resource-related barriers to implementation, those patients who carried out the exercise programme guided by a physiotherapist reported relief in their insomnia symptoms.