This study aimed at verifying the relationship between sleep quality and physical activity during leisure time among night workers with high physical effort at work (average 14,245; SD 3,456 kcal/week). Also, the relationship between sleep quality and level of physical effort at work was evaluated. A total of 19 night workers of a ceramic industry filled in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The total energy expenditure per week for each worker was expressed by the metabolic equivalent (METs). Workers were distributed in two groups, according to the PSQI scores. We performed the descriptive analysis of data, calculating average, minimum and maximum values, percentages and standard deviations. The relationship between quality of sleep and physical activity was assessed by Mann-Whitney Test. The poor sleep quality group showed higher level of energy expenditure at work than the other group, suggesting a relationship between energy expenditure at work and sleep quality. Sleep disorders and diurnal sleepiness contributed to the poor sleep quality as well. Although these are preliminary results, they indicate that higher physical effort exerted at night work contributes to low sleep quality.
sleep quality; physical activity; night workers
