Exercise to Improve Sleep Quality in Long-Term Stroke Survivors
Tests exercise training to improve sleep in people with chronic stroke and poor sleep.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Rise & Shine: Promoting Sleep Quality in Chronic Stroke With Exercise
Key facts
- Where
- Vancouver, CanadaSee the site
Where in Canada
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Research PavilionVancouver, CanadaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of British Columbia
- Trial code
- NCT06847074
- Record updated
- 11 June 2026
- Original description
health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, cognitive impairment, and dementia.Read full original descriptionShow less
Rise & Shine: Promoting Sleep Quality in Chronic Stroke With Exercise
health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
After a person suffers a stroke, they often experience difficulties in getting a good night's sleep. Approximately half of stroke survivors have insomnia, or have trouble falling and/or staying asleep. Poor sleep quality among stroke survivors increases the risk of recurrent stroke by 3-fold and the risk of early death by 76%. Hence, stroke survivors need strategies to promote better sleep.
Fortunately, evidence shows that sleep quality can be improved with exercise, even among those who struggle with insomnia. Whether exercise training can improve sleep quality in adults with chronic stroke (i.e., at least 12 months has passed since their stroke) and poor sleep quality is not known. In addition, it is unknown if improved sleep is associated with improved outcomes in those with chronic stroke.
This study will specifically evaluate the effect of twice-weekly targeted exercise training on sleep quality over a 6-month period in persons with chronic stroke and poor sleep quality. This study will also evaluate the effect of exercise on the following outcomes: 1) sleep structure; 2) fatigue; 3) daytime sleepiness; 4) mood; 5) physical function and capacity; 6) thinking abilities; 7) heart health; and 8) quality of life. Finally, this study will examine how changes in sleep quality may be related to changes in these outcomes. Our proposed research is timely as the importance of sleep to recovery, health, and wellbeing post-stroke is increasingly recognized.
Inclusion: We will include community-dwelling adults who had an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at least one year prior to study enrolment and have poor sleep quality - defined as a sleep efficiency of < or = 85%, with allowance for minor upward deviations on individual nights consistent with known night-to-night variability and instrument accuracy limits, and a PSQI global score of > 5. Individuals must also meet these inclusion criteria: 1) aged 55 years and older; 2) a baseline MMSE score of = or > 22/30 and a MoCA score of = or > 19/30; 3) community-dwelling; 4) able to comply with scheduled assessments, classes, and other trial procedures; 5) read, write, and speak English with acceptable visual and auditory acuity; 6) not to start or stable (i.e., = or > 6 months) on a fixed dose of medication that impacts sleep (i.e., anti-arrhythmics, beta blockers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, etc.) during the 26-week intervention period; 7) able to walk for a minimum of six metres with rest intervals with or without assistive devices; 8) based on interview, have an activity tolerance of 60 minutes with rest intervals; 9) not participating in any regular therapy or progressive exercise (e.g., treadmill or weight-lifting); and 10) able to safely engage in exercise as indicated by the PAR-Q+63 and written confirmation by family or study physicians.
Exclusion: We will exclude individuals who: 1) are diagnosed with OSA and are not using CPAP or defined as potentially having undiagnosed OSA (AHI > 20) as a result of study screening; 2) have restless leg syndrome; 3) are diagnosed with dementia of any type; 4) are diagnosed with another type of neurodegenerative or neurological condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease); 5) are planning to participate, or already enrolled in, a clinical drug trial or exercise trial concurrent to this study; 6) are at high risk for cardiac complications during exercise and/or unable to self-regulate activity or to understand recommended activity level; 7) have clinically significant peripheral neuropathy or severe musculoskeletal or joint disease that impairs mobility, as determined by his/her physician; or 8) have aphasia as judged by an inability to communicate by phone.