The association between sleep deficits and sedentary behavior in people with mild Parkinson disease.
Rachel A Prusynski, Valerie E Kelly, Donald J Fogelberg and 1 others
PMID 34218729WHAT IT FOUND
People with mild Parkinson disease slept less and were more sedentary than healthy adults.
More sleep linked to less sitting time in both groups. But sleep did not predict step count or active minutes. Treat sitting and moving as separate issues when addressing sleep.
Key findings
01Participants with mild Parkinson disease slept 75 fewer minutes per night (18% less) and took 5792 fewer steps per day (49% less) than healthy older adults.
02There was no significant association between nighttime sleep duration and step count or active minutes in either group.
03In both groups, each additional 30 minutes of nighttime sleep was associated with approximately 25 to 26 fewer minutes of sedentary time per day.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The commercial activity monitor used was not specifically validated for measuring sleep in people with Parkinson disease, which may affect accuracy. The study included only participants with mild Parkinson disease, so results may not apply to those with more advanced motor symptoms. The sample size was small (49 participants total) and the study was a secondary analysis, limiting the generalizability and power of the findings. The cross-sectional nature of the data means causality cannot be established; it is unclear whether poor sleep causes sedentary behavior or vice versa.
Declared interests
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating sleep deficits will increase physical activity or step counts. The study found no association between sleep duration and active minutes, only between sleep and sedentary time. Improving sleep may reduce sitting, but it does not guarantee more exercise.