Can Exercise Help You Sleep Better?
Struggling to sleep happens to the best of us, but it can affect your life when it becomes frequent. So, what can you do about it?
One thing you could try is exercising more.
Research shows that exercise can improve sleep quality and duration and reduce insomnia complaints in many people, with the linked review of studies finding that sleep and exercise exert substantial positive effects on one another.
Research also suggests that poor sleep leads to lower physical activity levels the next day, creating a vicious cycle. Simply put, exercise helps you sleep, and a lack of exercise reduces your ability to exercise the next day intensely.
How does exercise impact sleep?
Exercising ninety minutes before bedtime helps you sleep because your core body temperature falls following exercise. This decline helps facilitate sleepiness, making you want to close your eyes and fall asleep.
Research has also found that exercise increases the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone responsible for sleep regulation.
Another recent study found that strength training creates a molecule called adenosis, which causes drowsiness and mental fatigue.
Exercising anytime during the day also burns through energy reserves, putting physical strain on your body and nervous system. Your body needs sleep to heal and recover, so it is inclined to shut down early after exercising.
When is it best to exercise for sleep?
Most of us exercise when convenient, and there is no evidential reason to change your schedule, providing you get the sessions in.
However, some people get better results exercising two hours before bedtime, using the body’s natural cool-down process as a sleep aid.
This survey found that most people who exercise at 8 pm or later fall asleep quickly, and this study found that exercising late improves sleep quality.
What type of exercise is best for sleep?
The type of exercise you perform is crucial to seeing results. New research suggests that intense exercise two hours before bed can reduce sleep quality by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.
The scientific consensus is that medium-intensity exercise is best for sleep - medium-intensity exercise burns three to six times more energy than sitting down. Your heart rate will be 60-70% of your maximum.
This study found that strength training is particularly effective at reducing poor and very poor quality sleep, and it meets the medium-intensity rule.
Other forms of medium-intensity exercises include:
- Brisk walking
- Jogging on the spot
- Dancing
- Biking slower than 10mph
You can also get a medium-intensity workout around the house with heavy cleaning sessions, lawnmowing, and running up and down the stairs a few times. The trick is to keep your heart rate above 60% for five minutes.
Get in shape with a 20-minute total body workout.
If you want to improve your sleep and get in shape, a 30-minute total body workout is the way. Full-body workouts push the upper end of medium-intensity exercise and help maintain muscle while shedding fat.
Here’s a simple workout plan:
20-minute circuit
The 20-minute circuit involves three-minute sessions with one-minute breaks, so a total of five mini circuits (15 mins) with five minutes of rest.
You need 1kg to 3kg dumbbells to add weight to your exercises; the extra weight will help build strength and increase your calorie burn.
During each three-minute circuit, you will do:
- Ten dumbbell rows (back, core)
- Ten push-ups (chest and triceps)
- Ten military presses (shoulders)
- Ten dumbbell deadlift (lower back, core)
- Ten squat floor taps (cardio)
- Ten jumping jacks (cardio)
Depending on your fitness level, you might need to skip one or two of these exercises – you can skip the jumping jacks or squat floor taps. Start with the lightest weight and work your way up as you get stronger.
Overall, exercise can improve your sleep and plenty of ways to get your sessions in.