Effects of exercise on subjective aspects of sleep during tobacco withdrawal

Exercise training was examined as a potential moderator of self-reported sleep disturbance during the first 5 weeks of tobacco withdrawal. Three sleep variables were assessed before and after a quit attempt by female smokers who exercised for 80 min per week at moderate intensity over an 11-week period. Comparisons were made to a matched control group of nonexercising women who also quit smoking. Results indicated that perceived difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep were negatively affected by tobacco withdrawal. Exercise participants did not differ from controls in their ability to stay asleep, but they reported significantly less difficulty falling asleep than controls during initial withdrawal. Discussion focuses on characteristics of the exercise intervention that may have contributed to these findings.