There is an important link between better sleep, less TV and more exercise, new study finds

• Being physically active and spending fewer hours watching TV could dramatically lower your risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, new research shows.

• An activity like cycling during the day can reduce the amount of fluid you retain at night, which means less pressure on the lungs when you sleep.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic activity per week and at least two strength training days per week.

Looking for the motivation to get away from your last viewing frenzy and get on your bike? Well, consider this: Being physically active and spending fewer hours watching TV could dramatically lower your risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, also known as OSA, according to new research in the. European Respiratory Journal.

This is a big deal because OSA is considered a serious condition where breathing stops and resumes while you sleep. Not only does this disrupt your sleep and cause daytime sleepiness, it also lowers blood oxygen levels and increases your risk for cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes.

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To assess the extent of the association, the researchers looked at health data from more than 138,000 men and women in the United States who had not been diagnosed with OSA at the start of the study. At the end of the research period – around 10 to 18 years, according to participant surveys – those with higher activity levels were around 54% less likely to develop OSA.

Sitting and watching TV was particularly problematic, and participants who reported more than four hours a day of the habit had a 78% higher risk of OSA than the less sedentary people. Even sedentary work, such as office work, was less risky, according to lead author Tianyi Huang, D.Sc., associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

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It doesn’t mean you’re off the hook if you’re mostly sitting at your job, he said. Bicycling.

“Both types of sedentary behavior are associated with the risk of sleep apnea,” he said. “The difference is that watching TV is more strongly correlated with measures of obesity. This could be due to other behaviors concomitant with television, such as snacking or drinking sugary drinks. “

Obesity is the biggest risk factor for sleep apnea, Huang added. Being active has been shown to improve insulin resistance and reduce inflammation, he said. These are vital mechanisms when it comes to sleep apnea, as well as body water retention. He said that an activity like cycling during the day can reduce the amount of fluid you retain at night, which means less pressure on the lungs when you sleep.

Another important point to remember is that for better sleep health it is not enough to be less sedentary: exercise like cycling is also essential.

“People can have high levels of physical activity while being very sedentary,” Huang said. “What our study suggests is that you need to do both. Not only should you become more active, but you should also reduce the hours of sedentary lifestyle. “

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic activity per week and at least two strength training days per week.

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