Korea is recognized as a country with little sleep, ranking first or second among countries where the lights never turn off at night. Sleeplessness, or lack of adequate sleep, can have profound negative effects on both physical and mental health. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health issues and impact daily functioning. Firstly, insomnia can cause significant cardiovascular problems. Chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke due to elevated stress hormones and inflammation. Additionally, lack of sleep disrupts the hormones that regulate hunger (ghrelin) and satiety (leptin), leading to weight gain and increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods. Furthermore, it can impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and reducing the effectiveness of vaccines. Sleep is crucial for the release of growth hormone, which is essential for muscle recovery and development, but lack of sleep disrupts this process. Relatedly, increased pain sensitivity and lower pain tolerance can lead to chronic pain conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. In this context, efforts to eliminate or minimize this insomnia are popular worldwide. Among these, it is known that exercise has a reducing effect on insomnia. Sleep and exercise are two fundamental components of a healthy lifestyle, each playing a crucial role in physical and mental well- being. This editorial aims to report on the importance of exercise and sleep for physical health and to explain the reason for this.
Firstly, regular physical activity helps you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. This is partly because exercise increases the time spent in deep sleep, the most physically restorative sleep phase. It can also reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and the amount of time spent awake during the night. Additionally, physical activity or exercise can alleviate symptoms of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome. Deep sleep is crucial for muscle recovery and growth because it maximizes the release of growth hormone. Moreover, regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves blood circulation, reduces the risk of heart disease, and helps maintain a healthy weight by burning calories. This, in turn, helps prevent diabetes and immune system disorders. According to related reports, acute exercise is reported to be more helpful for improving sleep than long-term exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise is found to be more effective in improving sleep disorders than low- or high-intensity exercise. Aerobic exercise is shown to be more effective than resistance exercise. However, since the results may vary depending on the type of exercise, exercise intensity, and characteristics of the subjects, additional research from various perspectives is needed. This is considered an essential aspect to address in exercise rehabilitation.
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