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If you are having trouble sleeping at night, including exercise in your daily routine may help.
How It Helps
A good workout can make the night’s sleep much more restful. The University of Maryland Medical Center noted that regular exercise can help deepen your sleep.
So what is regular exercise? The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke recommended performing 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day.
What Types of Exercises?
Do certain types of exercise provide greater sleep benefits? A study conducted at Northwestern Medicine investigated the effects of aerobic exercise in middle-aged and older adults who suffered from insomnia.
Twenty-three sedentary adults were included in the study. Most of the participants were women, and they were all age 55 and over and had insomnia and impaired daytime functioning. Participants in the aerobic physical activity group were in either one 30-to-40 minute exercise session four times a week, or in two 20-minute exercise sessions four times a week. These sessions lasted for 16 weeks.
The participants who were not in the aerobic physical activity group were in either educational or recreational activity groups, which met for 45 minutes three to five times a week for the same number of weeks. The press release from Northwestern University stated that participants in the aerobic physical activity group reported better sleep quality, increasing them from poor sleeper to good sleeper. In addition to improved health, the regular physical activity also decreased daytime sleepiness and depressive symptoms, and increased vitality.
The Don’ts for Exercise
While exercise can help promote good sleep, exercising too late at night, such as right before you go to bed, may end up causing problems falling asleep. The National Sleep Foundation noted that when working out, your body temperature rises and it can take up to six hours for your body temperature to drop.
Why is this important? Sleep onset is associated with a cooler body temperature, so if your body temperature is still elevated from working out not too long ago, it may make it more difficult to fall asleep.
As a recommendation, Harvard Medical School stated that you should stop your workout at least three hours before you plan to go to sleep. The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke added for the maximum benefit of exercise on your sleep, you should try working out five to six hours before bedtime.
References:/strong>
Harvard Medical School. Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep. Web. 24 February 2012
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
University of Maryland Medical Center. Sleep Hygiene: Helpful Hints to Help You Sleep. Web. 24 February 2012
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm
National Sleep Foundation. Diet, Exercise and Sleep. Web. 24 February 2012
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/diet-exercise-and-sleep
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. Web. 24 February 2012
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm
Northwestern University. Aerobic Exercise Relieves Insomnia. Web. 24 February 2012
http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2010/09/aerobic-exercise-relieves-insomnia.html
Reviewed February 24, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
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