2024-08-23 15:03:43
The more active you are, the better you sleep. But it seems to make a difference what activity you do. That’s what a recent study found.
Sleep disorders are widespread in Germany. Around a third of the population suffers from sleep disorders on a regular basis. Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep are among the most common problems.
Many experts recommend physical activity as an antidote. Because when we are tired in the evening, we tend to sleep better. Gardening could have a particularly positive effect on sleep quality. This is the result of a recent analysis by researchers from the USA and China. The study was published in the “Journal of Affective Disorders”.
For the study, the scientists evaluated the data of around 62,000 adults in the USA. The data comes from a nationwide health survey from 2017. Among other things, the participants provided information about how long they slept and how often they suffered from insomnia or other sleep problems. The participants were also asked whether they exercise or regularly work in the garden.
Six percent of respondents said that gardening was one of their most common activities. 67 percent exercised primarily in other ways, such as playing a particular sport. The remaining 27 percent said they were not very physically active.
The researchers then compared the information on sleep problems and activities. This showed that people who regularly work in the garden suffer from sleep problems less often. Compared to people who are less physically active, their likelihood of having sleep disorders was 42 percent lower. For those who are physically active in other ways, the risk was 33 percent lower. Gardening therefore appears to be even more effective in protecting against sleep disorders than other activities.
Gardeners also had an advantage in terms of average sleep duration: they slept an average of 7.14 hours per night – about 10 to 15 minutes longer than the other groups. The researchers also found that the more time the respondents spent gardening, the lower their risk of poor sleep.
The study authors attribute the positive effect of gardening to various factors: Compared to other physical activities, gardening is particularly demanding physically and mentally. They also suspect that the daylight when working outdoors and the relaxing effect of nature could also help improve sleep.
The positive effect of gardening occurred regardless of age, gender, level of education and weight. However, the researchers point out that it is also conceivable that people who have had enough sleep or are less stressed are more capable and motivated to do gardening. Further studies are therefore necessary to prove a clear cause-effect relationship.