Rigorous exercise before bed has long been discouraged, but University of Otago researchers have found short bursts of light activity can lead to better sleep. In a world first study, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine and funded by the Health Research Council, participants completed two four-hour evening intervention sessions of prolonged sitting, and sitting interrupted with three-minute activity breaks every half hour. The researchers found that after the participants completed the activity breaks intervention they slept for 30 minutes longer. Lead author Jennifer Gale, PhD candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition, says sitting for long periods is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death. We know that for many of us, our longest period of uninterrupted sitting happens at home in the evening. In our previous studies we have found that getting up and doing 2-3 minutes of exercise every 30 minutes reduces the amount of sugar and