Join the Aaptiv dream team with our new 8 hour super workout! Prioritize your sleep like you do your sweat with our new sleep category, with over 25 classes to get you snoozing like a pro. With better sleep you will have better workouts and better workouts gets you results. This is the fitness category you can’t live without. Get ready to unwind, sleep soundly, and wake up ready to take on the day!Good sleep is something that we all crave and need but seldom get, especially in this on-the-go lifestyle. We all know the importance of it – like giving your body time to rest and recover, improving our moods and giving us the energy we need the next day – but not quite exactly how to get it. This is where exercise comes in. Regular exercise can help you sleep better. While it sounds counterintuitive because exercise is seen as something like a stimulator, when timed correctly, it can actually help improve sleep onset latency (how long it takes us to fall asleep), sleep duration as well as the quality of sleep.
This was proven in a 16-week study published in Sleep Medicine in 2010. In this study, seventeen sedentary older adults (aged 55 years and above) with insomnia were split into two groups. The first group participated in aerobic physical activity as well as sleep hygiene. The second group was the non-physical activity group that still did sleep hygiene but without the aerobic exercise.
The results showed that the physical activity group had better sleep quality, latency, duration and efficiency, which was further reinforced by this study conducted in 2011, also published in Sleep Medicine. In this study, nineteen sedentary individuals were involved in a 6-month exercise training program, either set in the morning or late afternoon.
Whilst there weren’t any significant differences between the morning and late-afternoon exercise groups, the regular long-term aerobic exercise did show significant improvements across the many facets of sleep such as sleep onset latency and efficiency.
So, if you want to improve sleep across the board, then fitting in regular exercise alongside establishing an effective sleep routine is important.
How does exercise affect sleep?
Exercise can help you sleep better due to several reasons:
It tires you out
The more you move throughout the day, the more your body will be craving sleep. Your sleep drive will increase with higher activity levels, as it means it needs more rest and recovery. By getting into a regular exercise routine, you may also be helping yourself get into a regular sleep routine.
It clears the mind
Exercise is a great stress reliever. It releases endorphins into the body, which are your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. It’s why you always feel on top of the world after a workout. It also serves as a great distraction and assists in taking your mind off things so you end up feeling better after a sweat session.
All this helps to reduce stress, increase happiness and ultimately clear the mind. This means that when you go to sleep at night, you’ll be more at ease, and hence find it easier to not only fall asleep but to get better quality sleep. This means spending less time tossing and turning and more time actually sleeping.
Your core temperature will rise and then fall
When you exercise, your core body temperature climbs. This wakes you up and ensures that you feel alert. However, after 30 to 90 minutes, your core temperature will then begin to decline. This fall in temperature is what makes you sleepy, helping you to prepare for bed.
Does timing matter?
While exercise does help your sleep better, depending on when you exercise, it can actually have the opposite effect.
As we just mentioned, physical activity makes your core body temperature rise, waking you up. It energises the brain and makes you feel alert and ready for the day. This means, that if you exercise too close to your bedtime, then you may actually have trouble falling asleep as you won’t be tired and your temperature won’t have cooled down enough.
Try to exercise in the daytime to avoid having it interfere with your sleep. Your body will be cooler and more relaxed. Or at the very latest, a couple of hours before bed. This way, you won’t try to fall asleep when your body and brain are most alert.
If you are a night owl and like to do your exercise closer to your bedtime, however, then choose activities that aren’t as intense. Opt for a light workout such as yoga or a walk to really take advantage of the ways exercise can improve sleep.
Introducing the new Aaptiv Sleep Category!
Join the Aaptiv dream team with our new 8 hour super workout! Prioritize your sleep like you do your sweat with our new sleep category, with over 25 classes to get you snoozing like a pro. With better sleep you will have better workouts and better workouts gets you results. This is the fitness category you can’t live without. Get ready to unwind, sleep soundly, and wake up ready to take on the day!