Like many older adults, I have issues with insomnia. In fact, a recent article claims that at least 50 percent of adults over 65 are afflicted with sleep problems of various sorts. Really, just 50 percent? From conversations with my peers, I would have guessed…oh, 100 percent.
Some people have problems getting to sleep; others have problems staying asleep. I fall into the second category. However, I have noticed that my insomnia is less of a problem on the days when I work out with weights. Weight-training (also confusingly called resistance training, strength training, or body-weight training) can be as simple as working out with light hand weights (my routine) or as arduous as bench-pressing.
Given my intuition that weight lifting aids sleep, I was thrilled to see a recent study in the BMJ Journals that tested various forms of exercise to see which one was best at overcoming insomnia. The results, described below and summarized here, are both satisfying and potentially helpful to all the insomniacs out there, at whatever age.
Wake Up to the Value of Better Sleep
The issue is not trivial. Seemingly every day, a new study appears that emphasizes the importance of sleep to health. With regard to physical health, poor sleep can raise your risk of heart disease, raise blood pressure, increase the risk of falls and fractures, and shorten life expectancy. As to Mental health, the exercise comparison study noted, “Strong evidence links sleeplessness to depression, anxiety and other Mental health disorders.” And for anyone worried about brain health (and who isn’t?), various studies have demonstrated that poor sleep quality can impact brain health by interfering with the consolidation of memories, resulting in an increased risk for cognitive impairment.
The Study
Previous studies have shown that exercising in general is useful for overcoming insomnia, in addition to its many other benefits. But which form of exercising worked best to get a good night’s sleep?
To answer that question, researchers conducted a meta-analysis, crunching data from over 24 previous studies and clinical trials. Participants included more than 2,000 adults aged 60 and older with a diagnosis of insomnia. Using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), with higher scores reflecting a higher quality of sleep, researchers compared various exercise programs—aerobics, flexibility, combination exercise, strength training, and balance—and their effects on insomnia.
The winner? Strength training was found to be the most effective in promoting sleep, followed by aerobic exercise and combination exercise. My experience turned out to be typical.
Safety Issues
If you decide to launch into a program of strength training, the best way to start might be to get advice and supervision from a physical therapist or a personal trainer. Or, you can just find a good video on YouTube by searching, “exercise with hand weights beginners.” In addition, these simple precautions will help you avoid injury:
- Warm up, focusing on the muscles you will be using.
- Stop if you feel pain.
- Learn good form and use it.
- Start with less weight rather than more. Gradually increase the amount of work, weights, or both.
General Advice for Better Sleep
Since most experts advise a day of rest after weight work, if the goal is sleeping better, lifting weights must be used in combination with other sleep techniques. Sleep experts generally recommend the following:
- Get on a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at pretty much the same time every day, even on weekends. Your body will soon learn when it’s time to ease into sleep.
- Prepare for bedtime by dimming the lights around you. Stop looking at screens, which sleep scientists say emit blue light that can keep you awake.
- Avoid alcohol in the evening and caffeine after lunch.
- Keep the bedroom and surrounding areas as dark as possible, consistent with safety.
- Keep the room cool.
- Dump nagging thoughts and great ideas into a notebook. Keep it by your bed.
- Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night. According to an article in the New York Times, “Studies suggest that around seven hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep each night seems to be the sweet spot for staving off health risks because that amount gives your body suitable time to regulate hormones and blood sugar levels and to allow your brain to flush out toxins.”
Those who struggle to get to sleep might find the “Three Good Things” exercise helpful. Thinking of “Three Good Things” about your day can promote a feeling of gratitude that can soothe your soul and promote sleep. A simple review of the day’s events, focusing on goals achieved, positive events, and Self-compassion and forgiveness for one’s errors, can also provide a gentle on-ramp to the highway of sleep.
Conclusion
Strength training is a simple route to better sleep, in addition to providing you with the other health and brainpower benefits of exercise. A recent study, although small, examined the effects of weight training on specific areas of the brain and found that weight training might protect against dementia and even reverse some effects of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
So lift weights and sleep well!
(c) Meg Selig, 2025. All rights reserved.
