WHEN YOU SWEAT, HOW YOU SLEEP, HOW YOU FEEL: DOES THE TIME OF EXERCISE AFFECT THE SLEEP QUALITY AND

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF COLLEGE STUDENTS?

David T. Payne IV ________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Many college students’ lead busy lives and it is important for college students to

still maintain proper physical and emotional health with their busy schedules so that they

can perform their best. Students need not only good physical health but also good

emotional health and adequate rest so it is important to determine if the time at which

students exercise positively or negatively impacts these factors. Objective: To examine

the time of exercise and the effect that has on an individual’s perception of their sleep

quality, mood, and emotional health. Participants: Thirty-five college students of mixed

sexes ranging from ages 18-22. Methods: In a sample of 36 college students a survey was

given to assess the time of exercise, exercise intensity, exercise duration, sleeping

patterns, mood, stress level, and the overall impact of exercise. Data were then input into

an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), independent T test, and frequencies were run on all

categorical variables. Results: No statistical significance was found from the ANOVA

between the three groups of exercise time regarding students’ sleep quality, mood, and

emotional health. The independent T test showed there to be a significant difference in

the number of sleep disturbances throughout the night (Males: .688 ± .793 Females:

1.684 ± 1.635, p= .033) and in the reported general mood (Males: 8.31 ± .947, Females:

7.211 ± 1.619, p=.022). Conclusion: Students can incorporate exercise into their schedule

at any time of the day and it will not have any negative effects on their sleep, mood, or

overall health.

PURPOSE

College students are notorious for having busy lives and day to day varying

activities. It is important for college students to maintain proper physical and emotional

health. For students that are dedicated to maintaining a healthy body, they must find time

to exercise in the gaps in their schedules, whether this be early in the morning, late at

night, or any time in between. These same students need not only good physical health

but also good emotional health and adequate rest. Therefore, important factors in the

well-being and success of college students are their activity level, sleep quality, and

emotional health. Without these factors college student may struggle to be successful

academically (higher grade point averages) and experiencing a healthy lifestyle in college

that may be vital in assisting college students to be successful in obtaining their goals for

after college (entering graduate programs or obtaining a career) and being healthy and

productive adults.

Wald , Muennig, O’Connell, and Garber (2014) performed a study on the

associations between health lifestyle behaviors and academic performance in

undergraduate students in the United States. This study found that most of the

respondents were insufficiently physically active, did not get adequate sleep, ate

inadequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, and did not partake in resistance training. Of

the surveyed students grade average was higher in students who met moderate-vigorous

activity levels but .03 points and .06 points higher for better sleeping habits (Wald et al,

2014). In addition to this, it has been shown that approximately 88.5% of students report

occasional sleep difficulties and almost three quarters of students believe they do not get

enough sleep during the week (Buboltz, Jenkins, Soper, Woller, Johnson, &Faes, 2009).

A study published in the Journal of American College Health found that students on

average reported a 6.50 on a scale of 1 (do not get nearly enough sleep) to 10 (get an

ideal amount of sleep) concerning their sleep quality and that students who reported

getting more sleep before school or more consistent sleep schedules had higher grades

than their student counterparts who experience sleep difficulties or disturbances

(Gaultney, 2010). These studies support the notion that sleep is an important factor in the

academic success of college students.

While sleep and exercise have been proven to have an important role in the

success of college students, few studies have been done concerning the relationship

between exercise and sleep. Results from a study on the effects of exercise intensities on

sleep showed moderate or high intensity exercise for at least one hour promote the ability

to fall asleep and suggest that such exercise could improve the sleep quality of sedentary

people (Yuuka, Yoshiaki, Takuro, & Sotoyuki, 2014).  One study that was published in

the Journal of Sports Sciences studied the effects of moderate to vigorous aerobic

exercise on the sleep need of sedentary young adults. Wong, Halaki, and Chow (2014)

found that the moderate to vigorous exercise performed six hours before bedtime did not

promote sleep need or sleep quality of the participants. The results did suggest that

vigorous exercise promotes light sleep and a reduced proportion of rapid eye movement

sleep (Wong et al., 2014).  These results suggest that some forms of exercise can improve

sleep quality while the time or intensity of exercise may have adverse effects of sleep and

that there is room for more research to be completed on this relationship to expand

understanding of how exercise impacts sleep. Outside of this there has not been much

research published on how the time of day of exercise effects sleep, mood, or

performance. With the busy schedule of college students in mind, it is valuable to

investigate and determine whether exercising at a certain time during the day will have

adverse effects on a student’s performance, mood, or sleep quality.

A 2011 American College Health Association survey reported that 55% of college

students felt overwhelming anxiety and that 49% of students had feelings of hopelessness

within the past year. Emotional health is an important factor in the success of college

students with conditions such as anxiety and depression having an important role in their

schoolwork and overall health. With this in mind students need sources to help alleviate

feelings of anxiety and to improve their mood. A number of studies have been done that

support the notion that exercise is positive source of anxiety reduction and a way to

improve emotional health.  A meta-analysis on the anxiety-reducing effects of acute and

chronic exercise concluded that aerobic exercise of at least twenty one minutes is

associated with reduced feelings anxiety (Petruzzello, Landers, Hatfield, Kubitz, &

Salazar, 1991). Another study found that low intensity exercise was associated with vigor

and exhilaration while high intensity exercises led to increases in tension and fatigue

(Steptoe & Cox, 1998). Lastly the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness published a

study that surveyed approximately six hundred Taiwan college students and found that

students who are physically active at the recommended levels are more likely to have a

high emotional intelligence score and health-related quality of life score (Li, Lu, &

Wang, 2009).  

Despite these studies, results are inconclusive regarding the effects of the timing

of exercise on emotional well-being and sleep quality.  It is important therefore to

determine what, if any effects exercise might have on an individual’s sleep quality and

emotional health.  The objective of this study is to determine whether exercising in the

morning, afternoon, or night has a positive or negative effect on a student’s perception of

their sleep quality and emotional health. The results of this study could determine ways

for students to maximize overall health and academic success by determining whether the

time that students exercise has adverse effects on their emotional health and sleep quality,

and consequently their grade point average. We hypothesize that the subjects who report

exercising in the early morning (6 am to 10 am) will report better sleep quality and mood

and that subjects who report exercising late at night (8pm-11pm) will report poor sleep

quality.

METHODS

Overview

This study is designed to compare the time during the day of different individuals’

workouts and what effect that has on their mood and sleeping patterns. The study is based

solely on personal report and perception of exercise, sleep quality, and emotional well-

being.

Subjects

The participants in this study will be volunteers from the Georgia College. The

individuals participating in this study will be members of the Georgia College Wellness

Center. Non-college members will not be asked to participate in the study because the

study is designed to study college students at Georgia College, and so only students of

Georgia College will be able to participate in this study. The participants will be 36

college students of approximately half female and half male subjects.

Study Design/ Procedures and Data Collection Method

Each volunteer filled out an informed consent and survey at a convenient time for

them. The purpose of this survey was to measure each participant’s view on their exercise

habits, sleep quality, and emotional well-being. At the time of their arrival, to ensure their

full understanding of this study, the participants were able to ask any questions or express

any concerns prior to signing the informed consent document. After signing the informed

consent, participants anonymously filled out a survey asking the individual a series of

questions relating to their exercise habits, sleep patterns, and perception of emotional

well-being. All participants were given a participant identification code.  This code was

used in place of the participant's name on all data collection documents in order to protect

each participant’s identity.  Only the investigators collecting data were privy to the

master key of participant name and identification number.  Their survey answers were

then used to generate information on the effects of the time of exercise on the emotional

well-being and sleep health of college students at Georgia College and State University.

Statistical Analysis Plan

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in all data analysis.

The primary analysis method included an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA

was used to detect if there were differences in the dependent variables: exercise intensity,

bedtime, time to fall asleep, feeling when waking up in the morning, sleep quality, the

number of sleep disturbances during the night, general mood, stress level, and feeling

after exercise, between three groups: morning exercisers (6am-10am), night exercisers

(7pm-12am), and other times of exercises. A post hoc was utilized to determine where

differences occur if there are any. Secondary analyses used in this study are independent

T tests, and frequencies. The independent T test was grouped by gender with each of the

dependent variables previously mentioned. Frequencies for participants of all nominal

variables were used to determine percentages of the responses of the participants. The

alpha level for this study was set at .05 or less.

RESULTS

After surveying sixteen male and nineteen female students at Georgia College an

analysis of variance (ANOVA), an independent T-test, and frequencies were utilized to

analyze the results of the surveys. The findings from the ANOVA revealed no significant

difference in all of the dependent variable. The independent T-test comparing the

differences between reports from males and females showed there to be a significant

difference in the number of sleep disturbances throughout the night as seen in Figure 1

(Males: .688 ± .793 Females: 1.684 ± 1.635, p= .033). There was also a significant

difference in the reported general mood as seen in Figure 2 (Males: 8.31 ± .947, Females:

7.211 ± 1.619, p=.022). Lastly frequencies between groups were analyzed (Table 1).

After running frequency tests it was concluded 11.4% of those surveyed exercise one day

per week or not at all, 40% exercise between 2 and 3 days per week, 40% exercise

between 4 and 5 days per week, and 8.6% exercise more than 6 days per week.

Frequencies on the time of exercise showed that 65% of the participants exercise late at

night. Of the sample, 74.3% reported exercising for 31-60 minutes per exercise session.

Concerning sleep, 37.1% of college students get between 5-6 hours of sleep per night

while 34.4% claim to take a nap at least one day a week, 28.6% 2 to 3 days per week,

5.7% 3 to 4 days per week, 11.4% 4 to 5 days per week and 20% 6 to 7 days per week.

The entirety of this sample of Georgia College students report a positive mood

improvement on days at which they participate in exercise.

Male Female0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Figure 1Average Number of Sleep Disturbances Per Night

Gender

Num

ber o

f Sle

ep D

istur

banc

es P

er N

ight

Denotes significant difference between groups at p ≤.05

Mood based on Likert scale 1-10, 10 being the higher mood

Denotes significant difference between groups at p ≤ .05

Male Female6.6

6.8

7

7.2

7.4

7.6

7.8

8

8.2

8.4

Figure 2General Mood

Gender

Moo

d Ba

sed

on Li

kert

Scla

e

Table 1

Frequencies of Exercise, Mood, and Sleep Variables

Dependent Variable % of Total Sample (N=35)

Gender Male 45.7% (n=16)

Female 54.3% (n=19)

Days of Exercise Per Week 0-1 Days 11.4% (n=4)

2-3 Days 40% (n=14)

4-5 Days 40% (n=14)

6-7 Days 8.6% (n=3)

Time of Exercise Morning 20% (n=7)

Night 45.7% (n=16)

Other 34.3% (n=12)

Duration of Exercise (minutes) 0-30 min 8.6% (n=3)

31-60 min 65.7% (n=23)

>60 min 25.7% (n=9)

Hours of Sleep per Night 5-6 hours 37.1% (n=13)

7-8 hours 62.9% (n=22)

Days Need to Nap per Week 0-1 Days 34.3% (n=12)

2-3 Days 28.6% (n=10)

3-4 Days 5.7% (n=2)

4-5 Days 11.4% (n=4)

6-7 Days 20% (n=7)

Mood Difference Seen with Exercise

Yes 100% (n=35)

Positive or Negative Mood with Exercise

Positive 100% (n=35)

Negative 0% (n=0)

DISCUSSION

The objective of this study was to determine whether exercising in the morning,

afternoon, or night had a positive or negative effect on a student’s perception of their

sleep quality and emotional health. It was hypothesized that the subjects who reported

exercising in the early morning (6 am to 10 am) would report better sleep quality and

mood and that subjects who reported exercising late at night (8pm-11pm) would report

poor sleep quality and mood. While the results of this study showed there to be no

significant difference between the time of exercise and a person’s perception of mood,

sleep quality, and emotional health, this objective was met. The results of this study

suggest that students can healthfully incorporate exercise at any time in the day without

worry of the timing of their exercise negatively affecting their sleep, mood, or emotional

health. The findings of this study are similar to findings seen in a study by Wong et al. in

which “data demonstrated that an acute bout of moderate to vigorous exercise performed

6 hours before bedtime did not promote increments in sleep need” in that participants

amongst the different exercise time groups showed no significant difference in their sleep

patterns (Wong et al., 2013). Both findings support the idea that the time of exercise

during the day does not have a noticeable effect on a person’s sleep habits and sleep

quality.

Other valuable information came out of this survey that could have important

implications for students and their health. For an example, one hundred percent of the

students surveyed that after exercising they experienced a positive change in their mood

which indicates that exercise is a healthful activity for students to partake in to improve

their mood and possibly stress levels. This finding is similar to the findings in a study by

Guszkowska & Sionek in which it was concluded that the mood of healthy adult women

improves significantly following an aerobic exercise program (2009). Another finding

from this study showed that 62.9% of students at Georgia College receive within the

recommended amount of sleep, whereas in a previous study only 23.6% received the

amount of sleep recommended for their age (Wald et al., 2014). This study also revealed

that women experience more sleep disturbances than men, which was also indicated in a

previous study by Buboltz et al. which “found that most of the students exhibited some

form of sleep disturbance and that women, in general, reported more sleep disturbances

than men did” (Buboltz et al., 2009).  A study by Petruzzello et al. on the anxiety-

reducing effects of acute and chronic exercise concluded that aerobic exercise of at least

twenty one minutes is associated with reduced feelings anxiety, while the results of the

ANOVA in this study indicated no significant correlation between the amounts of time

spent exercising and emotional health or stress (Petruzzello et al., 1991).

Despite efforts to minimize bias or limitations within this study there are a few

existing and possibly limitations. One limitation is that this study is based solely on

objective values and while it is important for student’s to report how they feel, possible

future studies incorporating quantitative measures to study this topic could provide

beneficial results and expand on the results that were found in this study. Another factor

that limited this study was the sample size; to more generalize the results and to gather

more accurate data a larger sample size should be incorporated into the study and despite

efforts to get an equal number of males and females, this study was unable to do so.

Future studies that would help expand on the data collected in this study could investigate

the reasons behind the differences in the number of sleep disturbances per night between

men and women or the causes of differences in reported mood between men and women

as found in the independent T-tests.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

American College of Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2011. (2012) Hanover, MD: American College Health Association.

Buboltz Jr.,W.,Jenkins, S.M., Soper, B., Woller, K., Johnson, P., & Faes, T. (2009). Sleep Habits and Patterns of College Students: An Expanded Study. Journal of College Counseling, 12(2), 113-124. Bhochhibhoya A, Branscum P, Taylor E, & Hofford C. Exploring the Relationships of Physical Activity, Emotional Intelligence, and Mental Health among College Students. American Journal Of Health Studies, 29(2), 191-198.

Gaultney, J. (2010). The Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in College Students: Impact on Academic Performance. Journal of American College Health, 59(2), 91-97.

Guszkowska M., & Sionek S. (2009). Changes in Mood States and Selected Personality Traits in Women Participating in a 12-Week Exercise Program. Human Movement, 10(2), 163-169.

Li, G., Lu, F., & Wang, A. (2009). Exploring the Relationships of Physical Activity, Emotional Intelligence and Health in Taiwan College Students. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 7(1), 55-63.

Steptoe, A., & Cox, S. (1998.). Acute effects of aerobic exercise on mood. Health Psychology, 7(4), 329-340.

Petruzzello, S., Landers, D., Hatfield, B., Kubitz, K., & Salazar, W. (1991). A Meta-Analysis On The Anxiety-Reducing Effects Of Acute And Chronic Exercise. Sports Medicine, 11(3), 143-182.

Wald, A., Muennig, P.A., O’Connell, K.A., & Garber, C. (2014). Associations Between Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Academic Performance in U.S. Undergraduates: A Secondary Analysis of the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II. American Journal of Health Promotion, 28(5), 298-305.

Wong S, Halaki M, Chow C. (2013). The effects of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise on the sleep need of sedentary young adults. Journal Of Sports Sciences, 31(4), 381-386. Yuuka, H., Yoshiaki, N., Takuro, H., & Sotoyuki, U. (2014). The Effects of Different Intensities of Exercise on Night Sleep. Advances in Exercise & Sports Physiology, 20(1), 19-24.