5-week Hybrid Exercise and Education Intervention on Sleep Patterns in Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of a 5-week hybrid exercise and education intervention on sleep patterns in rural community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This experimental pilot study included 10 older adults (age = 79.6 ± 8.87 years) recruited from a community-based senior center in rural northwest Wisconsin. Participants wore an accelerometer on their dominant wrist and an inclinometer on the mid-thigh of their non-dominant leg over a 7-day period for 24 hours each day, except when bathing. Total sleep time (TST), total time to sleep, sleep efficiency, total number of awakenings, and average length of awakenings were obtained from devices at baseline (BL) and during the 5^th week of the hybrid exercise intervention (DI), which comprised of a weekly 30 minute education session on exercise modes, benefits of exercise, and sleep importance and a tri-weekly 60-minute exercise sessions in-person (1 day) and synchronously (2 days) over a 5-week period. Exercise sessions incorporated muscle strengthening exercises using exercise bands, light free weights, and stretches, many were completed in seated position. Paired samples t–tests were employed to examine the changes in sleep variables from BL to DI. RESULTS: Daily TST obtained from a thigh-worn inclinometer had no significant changes from BL (5.63 ± 1.78 hours/night) to DI (6.80 ± 2.66 hours/night), t(7) = -9.53, p = .206. Time to sleep, sleep efficiency, number of awakenings, average length of awakening had no statistical significance. Physical activity and postural changes did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: Although there was no sleep significance, this pilot test demonstrated benefits of a 5-week hybrid intervention among rural older adults.