What this means
Researchers plan to test whether a 12-week exercise program helps people over 50 sleep better and take less sleep medicine. This is a planned study, so it does not show any results yet.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the registry listing.
- Status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Who can join
- Ages 50 and over · 180 adults aged 50 and older in Taiwan who use sleep medicine long term
- Where
- 1 site
The science
- Registered title
- Physical Activity Interventions for Sleep Improvement and Sedative-Hypnotic Reduction in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Investigating the Role of Sarcopenia
- Trial ID
- NCT07896603 ↗
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Study type
- interventional
- Conditions
- Insomnia Chronic, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Physical Activities
- What is tested
- resistance training, Relaxation training
- Sponsor
- Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
- Ages
- 50 Years to no maximum
- Dates
- First posted Oct 27, 2026 · updated Oct 29, 2026
Registry summary
Background:
The prevalence of sedative-hypnotic use among middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan has continued to rise, highlighting the need to better understand the underlying factors contributing to sleep disturbances and medication dependence. Emerging evidence suggests that, beyond psychological and behavioral contributors, age-related physiological decline may play an important role. Sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, is common in aging populations and has been linked to poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, increased fall risk, and higher medication use. Regular physical activity not only improves symptoms of sarcopenia but has also been shown to enhance subjective sleep quality and modify objective sleep architecture, including increases in N3 slow-wave sleep. Despite these benefits, no study to date has directly examined whether physical activity can facilitate sedative-hypnotic dose reduction among chronic users.
Purpose:
The aim of this study is to investigate the associations among sarcopenia, sleep disturbances, and sedative-hypnotic use, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured physical activity intervention in improving subjective and objective sleep outcomes and promoting dose reduction in chronic hypnotic users.
Methods:
This three-year study will recruit 180 adults aged 50 years and older who have long-term sedative-hypnotic use. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an individualized 12-week physical activity program or a relaxation training control condition. Baseline and post-intervention assessments will include subjective sleep questionnaires, polysomnography, muscle strength and mass measurements, and standardized hypnotic dose quantification.
Expected Results:
Investigators anticipate that physical activity targeting muscle health will significantly improve sleep quality and contribute to meaningful reductions in sedative-hypnotic medication use among chronic users.
Sites (1)
- Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan