Last updated 23 November 2011
People who regularly take exercise tend to enjoy better sleep and be more alert during the daytime than those who rarely indulge in physical activity, a study has found.
Scientists at Oregon State University analysed data on more than 2,600 people, aged 18 to 85, in order to investigate the links between exercise and sleep quality.
They found that people who took 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week typically benefited from a 65 per cent improvement in the quality of their sleep.
In addition, active people tended to report less daytime sleepiness than those who did little exercise.
The findings - which are published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity - were consistent even after age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and other factors had been taken into account.
Assistant professor Paul Loprinzi, who is now based at Bellarmine University, said: 'Our findings demonstrate a link between regular physical activity and perceptions of sleepiness during the day, which suggests that participation in physical activity on a regular basis may positively influence an individual's productivity at work.'
NHS figures suggest that just 39 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women met the recommended levels of exercise - at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on at least five days per week - in 2008.
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