Effect of Eight Weeks of Sports Exercises in Water on Sleep Disturbance and Alexithymia of Inactive Veterans

Aims: This research has been conducted to investigate the effects of eight weeks of sports exercises in water on sleep disturbance and alexithymia in inactive veterans. Materials Methods: This semi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test control group design was conducted in the Spring of 2023. The research statistical population consisted of all non-athlete veterans, over 25% of anatomy being disabled (inactive) in Ilam city, Iran, among whom 28 individuals were selected by available and voluntary sampling and were divided randomly into two groups; experimental and control. Standard sleep quality questionnaires of Pittsburgh (1989) and Toronto Alexithymia (1994) were used to collect data. For analyzing the data, univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance was employed in SPSS 24 software. Findings: Before the exercise intervention, there were no significant differences in sleep disturbance and alexithymia between the experimental and control groups, and the two groups were homogeneous. However, after the exercise intervention, improvements in sleep disturbance and alexithymia were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Sports exercises in water have a negative impact on sleep disturbance and alexithymia in the veteran population.