Sleep and Exercise in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Overview

Regular physical activity is important for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sleep requirements for adults should be on a 'sleep needs spectrum' of between 7 to 9 hours per day. Poor sleep is a common complaint among people with RA, which may have an effect on their activity levels and well-being. There is evidence that physical activity and exercise can improve sleep quality and disturbances in other chronic disease populations therefore, examining how same affects sleep in RA is important.

Sleep is an important aspect in maintaining the body's circadian rhythm. In general getting fewer than 5 hours sleep per day has been associated with cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity and can also be linked to depression and anxiety. Poor sleep is a common complaint among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with disturbed sleep and fatigue known to affect up to 70% in this population. Poor sleep quality may contribute to the feelings of pain, fatigue and poor psychological well-being which in turn may further deteriorate functional ability and reduced activity. It is known that exercise improves a person's psychological state which can also be an additional factor in improving or indeed disrupting quality of sleep. Exercise has been identified as an important part of the nonpharmacological management of poor sleep and in improving sleep quality however, people with RA were previously cautioned about undertaking exercise. Therefore, changes in sleep quality during exercise intervention should be evaluated so that society can understand more the potential for long-term changes in overall health status, in people who have RA. Indeed the intensity level of the activity in people with RA may be of additional importance.

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