Importance of getting enough zzzs for arthritis patients

Getting a good night's sleep is important for arthritis patients as poor sleep could keep them from getting enough exercise, finds a study.

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis as it increases strength and flexibility, and even reduces joint pain.

Of the 1892 patients in the analysis, 300 (16 percent) reported restless sleep three or more days in the past week.

Participants reporting much (3-4 days/week) and most (5-7 days/week) restless sleep had 11.9 percent and 23.7 percent less weekly minutes of moderate-vigorous activity, respectively, compared to participants reporting rare restless sleep (less than 1 day/week).

Future studies are needed to determine whether interventions that improve sleep quality might result in increased physical activity, which can provide significant health benefits to patients with knee osteoarthritis.

The findings have been published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.