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Evaluation ViewAttendees 2

Adult- Health Psychology / Behavioral Medicine
Session Type:: Symposia

Symposium 65 - Moving to Rest: Exploring Exercise as a Pathway to Better Sleep in Psychiatric Populations

Sunday, November 23, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM CST
Location: Bolden 5, Level 2
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Exercise, Sleep, Transdiagnostic
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Szuhany, K. L., Sullivan, A. J., Gills, J. L., & Kredlow, M. A. (2024). The impact of exercise interventions on sleep in adult populations with depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress: review of the current evidence and future directions. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 1-18.,   Lederman, O., Ward, P. B., Firth, J., Maloney, C., Carney, R., Vancampfort, D., ... & Rosenbaum, S. (2019). Does exercise improve sleep quality in individuals with mental illness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of psychiatric research, 109, 96-106.,   Brupbacher, G., Gerger, H., Zander-Schellenberg, T., Straus, D., Porschke, H., Gerber, M., ... & Schmidt-Trucksäss, A. (2021). The effects of exercise on sleep in unipolar depression: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 59, 101452.,   ,  

Insomnia is highly prevalent in adults with depression, anxiety (both ~25-46%; Soehner & Harvey, 2012), PTSD (63-92%; Ahmadi et al., 2022; Milanak et al., 2019), and alcohol use disorders (~60%; Perney & Lehert, 2018). It may be an early symptom that predicts disorder onset, can worsen current psychiatric symptoms and impair functioning, and is also a risk factor for suicidal ideation (Dolson et al., 2014). Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia is a gold-standard intervention; however, it may be difficult to access. Therefore, there is a great need to identify alternative interventions.

Exercise is an easily accessible, cost-effective alternative with known efficacy for improving anxiety, stress, and depression (e.g., Noetel et al., 2024; Ramos-Sanchez et al., 2021). Exercise also has demonstrated effects on improving sleep, including sleep onset latency, efficiency, and quality, in non-psychiatric populations (e.g., Kredlow et al., 2015). However, less is known about how exercise may impact sleep in patients with chronic sleep disturbances and psychiatric symptoms that are heavily intertwined. Indeed, a meta-analysis of effects of regular exercise on sleep quality in psychiatric populations reported a large positive effect but only identified 8 randomized controlled trials (Lederman et al., 2019). Additionally, another meta-analysis in depressed samples only found that mind-body exercise combined with treatment as usual (TAU) or vigorous exercise plus TAU improved sleep, but not moderate exercise (Brupbacher et al., 2021). These conflicting results suggest the need for a greater understanding of how exercise may impact sleep in psychiatric populations. Furthermore, little is known about the longitudinal progression of changes in sleep and psychiatric symptoms during an exercise program and the optimal exercise timing, type, and delivery method for sleep improvement.

The goal of this symposium is to begin to delve into this understudied topic. First, Dr. Bozzay will examine the relationship between eveningness chronotypes (biologically-based preferences towards later bed and rise times), physical activity, and suicidal ideation in studies using ecological momentary assessment in suicidal individuals. Next, Dr. Rethorst will examine sleep outcomes from a trial of behavioral activation plus physical activity delivered via teletherapy in depression. Dr. Kraines will then present the results of a trial comparing the impact of a lifestyle physical activity intervention to health education on sleep outcomes, in women with depression and alcohol use disorder. Next, Dr. Browne will present the results of a trial comparing the impact of supervised exercise to TAU on sleep in older adults with PTSD. Then, Dr. Szuhany will present sleep outcomes from an aerobic exercise trial in an anxiety disorder population. Finally, given her expertise in developing resiliency and wellness programs for individuals with mood disorders, including studies examining the role of sleep and exercise, Dr. Sylvia will put these findings in context and discuss next steps for this important research area. Exercise interventions may help broaden the reach of behavioral therapies for sleep disturbance to diverse transdiagnostic populations.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe various exercise interventions and their impact on sleep in psychiatric populations.
  2. List 4 psychiatric populations that may benefit from exercise for sleep interventions.
  3. Identify barriers to engagement in physical activity in psychiatric populations.
  4. Describe how exercise may affect changes in psychiatric symptoms and sleep and their relationship.
  5. Feel confident prescribing exercise to improve sleep in psychiatric populations.

Presentations:

  • 12:05 PM - 12:22 PM CST
    (SYM 65) Examining Relationships Between Sleep Preferences and Physical Activity with Suicide Risk Using Intensive Longitudinal Assessment

    Speaker: Melanie L. Bozzay, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

    Co-author: Zachary J. Kunicki, M.P.H., M.S., Ph.D. – Brown University Medical School

    Co-author: Jungwoon Park, B.S. – Brown University

    Co-author: Stephen Coutu, B.S. – Brown University

    Co-author: Abigail Markley, B.S. – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

    Co-author: Kareena Jain, Student – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

    Co-author: Ryan Tong, Student – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

    Co-author: Michael Armey, PhD – Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

  • 12:22 PM - 12:39 PM CST
    (SYM 65) Behavioral Activation to Increase Physical Activity in Persons with Depression: Intervention Effects on Sleep Outcomes

    Speaker: Chad D. Rethorst, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Texas A&M Agrilife Research - Dallas

  • 12:39 PM - 12:56 PM CST
    (SYM 65) Effects of a Lifestyle Physical Activity Intervention on Sleep in Women with Depression and Alcohol Use Disorder

    Speaker: Morganne A. Kraines, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Butler Hospital

    Co-author: Gemma T. Wallace, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Alpert Medical School of Brown University

    Co-author: Julia Browne, Ph.D. – Providence VA Healthcare System

    Co-author: Eleanor Amer, BA – Butler Hospital

    Co-author: Alicia Bergeron, BS – Butler Hospital

    Co-author: Katherine Landino, BA – Butler Hospital

    Co-author: Cynthia L. Battle, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University

    Co-author: Ana Abrantes, Ph.D. – Butler Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University

  • 12:56 PM - 1:13 PM CST
    (SYM 65) Improving Sleep in Older Veterans with PTSD: Preliminary Evidence for Exercise-based Interventions

    Speaker: Julia Browne, Ph.D. – Providence VA Healthcare System

    Co-author: Michelle Pebole, PhD (she/her/hers) – VA Boston Healthcare System

    Co-author: Jeffrey Gregg, PhD – Durham VA Health Care System

    Co-author: Katherine Hall, PhD – Durham VA Health Care System

  • 1:13 PM - 1:30 PM CST
    (SYM 65) Examining Changes in Insomnia and Their Associations with Exercise and Psychiatric Symptoms for Individuals with Primary Anxiety Disorders in an Aerobic Exercise Intervention Trial

    Speaker: Kristin L. Szuhany, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – NYU School of Medicine

    Co-author: Giselle Cornejo, Ph.D. – NYU Langone Medical Center

    Co-author: Naomi M. Simon, M.D. – NYU Grossman School of Medicine