Australian scientists find that increasing the recommended weekly amount of physical activity can offset the serious health damage associated with poor sleep quality.

The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, writes Science Daily.

Scientists analyzed information about 380 thousand people, which was collected in the UK Biobank database for 11-15 years. The sleep quality of the volunteers was assessed on a five-point scale.

The highest rates were observed in physically active, young, thin, financially secure women who did not have mental problems, ate a lot of vegetables and fruits, did not work in shifts, never smoked and drank little alcohol.

The lower the score, the more it was associated with the risk of death from all types of cardiovascular disease and from stroke.. Low risk of premature death was in the group " Those who moved little and slept poorly had 57% higher.

Researchers concluded that sleep deprivation and inactivity increase the risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and cancer.. At the same time, they found that the harm from poor quality sleep can be compensated for by playing sports..

Scientists have found that the recommended by the World Health Organization of at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week neutralizes most of the harmful effects of lack of sleep and weakens its connection with the risk of premature death..

At the same time, scientists note that they conducted observations that cannot fully and reasonably establish a causal relationship.. They only collected information about sleep patterns and physical activity at a specific point in time and based on potentially influencing factors, such as the type of work people do.. Therefore, more research is needed, scientists say..