Revitalizing your sleep
The impact of daytime physical activity and balneotherapy during a spa stay
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22073191 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lucia Castelli (0000-0002-7701-9733, University of Milan), Andrea Michele Ciorciari (University of Milan), Letizia Galasso (0000-0002-5344-4014, University of Milan, corresponding author), Antonino Mulè (0000-0002-2324-6375, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano), Francesca Fornasini (Policlinico Abano Terme), Angela Montaruli (0000-0003-4296-066X, University of Milan), Eliana Roveda (0000-0003-2092-3999, University of Milan), Fabio Esposito (0000-0002-4420-2611, University of Milan) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | 1339689-1339689 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339689 |
| PMID | 39050610 |
| OpenAlex | W4400500397 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 65 |
Background In modern society, achieving high-quality sleep is increasingly challenging. We conducted a study to explore the potential benefits of daytime physical activity and balneotherapy, including mud application and thermal-water bathing, on sleep quality. Methods To assess daytime physical activity and sleep parameters, we actigraphically monitored 127 healthy participants (34.6% male, average age 64.61 ± 0.89 years) during a one-week stay at a spa resort, where they received mud application and thermal-water bathings. Results Participants were divided into three groups based on the timing of mud application. Those receiving mud application before 8:30 a.m. tended to have shorter sleep durations compared to those with later application, especially if it occurred before 7:45 a.m. However, mud application did not significantly affect sleep quality. Three-way ANCOVA revealed a significant effect of daytime physical activity on delta Sleep Efficiency, but post-hoc tests were insignificant. Furthermore, analyzing the duration of daily thermal-water bathings, individuals bathing for over 75 min per day experienced a noteworthy improvement in sleep quality, particularly in terms of delta Sleep Efficiency (2.15 ± 0.9% vs. −0.34 ± 0.31%, p = 0.007). Conclusion Our findings suggest that extended thermal-water bathing may enhance objective aspects of sleep quality. Since balneotherapy is mainly prescribed for individuals with musculoskeletal pathologies or psychological disorders, these findings may encourage doctors to recommend bathing in thermal water also to healthy subjects. Future researchers need to investigate the role of daytime physical activity in depth
Actigraphy · Alternative medicine · Atmospheric sciences · Balneology · Balneotherapy · Circadian rhythm · Daytime · Physical activity · Physical medicine and rehabilitation · Physical therapy · Computer Science · Environmental Science · Global Healthcare and Medical Tourism · Gut microbiota and health · Medicine · Therapeutic Uses of Natural Elements · Internal Medicine
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |