Abstract
We developed a program to improve sleep using low intensity and high frequency physical exercise for female elderly people with mild to moderate sleep complaints. This study examined the effect of this program on sleep patterns using a randomized controlled trial（RCT）. We distributed information about our study to members of three different senior citizen groups. Thirty-one people who read and understood the nature of our study applied to participate in our study. These subjects were randomly assigned to either the intervention（physical exercise） group or the control group. Based upon the characteristics of the subjects（elderly, able to perform safe exercises, able to withstand the burden of performing physical exercise）, the exercise program consisted of a low intensity and high frequency regimen（a walk for 20 minutes in the daytime and stretching exercises for 10 minutes before bedtime）. The intervention period lasted 4 weeks. A seminar was held every week（60 minutes per seminar）. The subjects were encouraged to perform physical exercise at home everyday. The control group was instructed to continue their normal daily routines for the duration of the observation period. Sleep/wake assessments were evaluated using an activity measurement apparatus（Actiwatch） during the 1-week pre- and post-intervention period and using a questionnaire known as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index（PSQI）.
The results were as follows:
1） The rate of completion with this program was 100％ in the intervention group, while the average attendance rate at the seminars was 98.3％ in the intervention group. The average compliance rate for the stretching exercise and the walk was 92.1％ and 82.1％, respectively.
2） In the intervention group, the wake after sleep onset showed a significant decrease during the intervention period（P<0.01）. In the control group, the wake after sleep onset showed no significant decrease during the observation period. The change in wake after sleep onset exhibited significant difference between the two groups（P<0.05）.
3） In the intervention group, the PSQI global score showed a significant decrease during the intervention period （P<0.05）. In the control group, the PSQI global score showed no significant decrease during the observation period. The change in the PSQI global score showed a significant difference between the two groups （P<0.01）.
These results suggested that this intervention program was effective for improving sleep patterns in subjects with mild to moderate sleep complaints.
