Do your exercise and you’ll sleep well: interweaving sleep quality and physical activity engagement

Sleep quality is a crucial factor in overall well-being, and physical activity is widely recognized for its potential benefits in promoting better sleep. This study explored the relationship between physical activity engagement and sleep quality, focusing on vigor, dedication, and absorption among 366 college students enrolled in Physical Activity Towards Health and Fitness (PATH-Fit) courses. The study examined how different dimensions of engagement contribute to sleep outcomes. Findings suggest that physical activity engagement has a statistically significant yet modest influence on sleep quality. Among its dimensions, absorption emerged as a key predictor, indicating that students who are deeply immersed in physical activity tend to experience better sleep. In contrast, vigor and dedication did not show a significant relationship, suggesting that merely being energetic or highly committed to physical activity does not necessarily lead to improved sleep. This highlights the importance of psychological involvement and enjoyment in exercise rather than just intensity or consistency. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the low predictive power of the model, indicating that physical activity engagement alone may not be a strong determinant of sleep quality. Other factors such as stress, sleep hygiene, and exercise timing may play a more dominant role. These results underscore the need for further research to examine additional variables that may influence sleep quality. Encouraging engaging and enjoyable physical activities in PATH-Fit courses may serve as a potential strategy for improving sleep health among college students.