Get Your Sweat On for Better Sleep
If you need another reason to start exercising, look no further. Sleep experts agree that being more physically active during the day can help you sleep better at night. Not all exercise is created equally, though. Plan your workout schedule carefully so that you feel pleasantly tired at night, not pumped up from all the fluorescent lights and blasting music at your gym (not to mention your revved-up adrenaline levels).
Why It Works
Your body uses nighttime rest to rejuvenate a vast array of internal systems and processes. One of the important functions of sleep is to create the perfect climate for your body’s repair work. Physical activity causes greater wear and tear on your body, increasing the need for sleep and revitalization. Wearing out your body through exercise also makes you feel more tired. In fact, sleep experts note that exercise is associated with increased amounts of deep sleep during the night.
What You Need
If you don’t regularly exercise, start with simple additions to your physical activity timetable. Consult with your physician to be sure the planned increase in activity is prudent and does not put you at increased risk for a complication. Try to mildly increase your general level of physical activity each day, whenever possible. This can be as simple as going for a 20-minute to 30-minute walk in the morning or early evening. If you already exercise, try to mildly increase the intensity of your usual workout. That might include exercising a bit longer than usual, or upping your effort level during the workout.
Calendar Your Exercise
Try to schedule your exercise for any time except for that crucial three-hour period before bedtime when your body wants to start winding down. Late-night exercise can make it harder to fall asleep because of stimulus factors including bright lights, loud music, or the adrenaline rush from an exciting workout. If your calendar is truly jam-packed, consider breaking your exercise into smaller chunks. For example, take three 10-minute walks instead of one big 30-minute walk. If you must exercise close to bedtime, opt for lower-key workouts like yoga, stretching, gentle swimming, or walking.
Let Your Body Adjust
If you’re transitioning from a fairly sedentary lifestyle to more regular workouts, it’s possible that you might still feel a bit tired during the day even though you’re sleeping better at night. Long runs or lifting heavy weights can be very tiring if you’re not accustomed to working out. If you feel excessively tired after beginning a workout regimen, try scaling back the duration or intensity until you find that perfect balance between pleasantly tired at night and pleasantly energized during the daytime hours.
References
National Sleep Foundation, How Does Exercise Help Those with Chronic Insomnia?
http://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/how-does-exercise-help-those-chronic-insomnia
National Sleep Foundation, Exercise and Sleep.
http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/exercise-and-sleep
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Exercise to Improve Sleep in Insomnia: Exploration of the Bidirectional Effects.
http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29078
