Many people struggle to get enough quality sleep. Not only does this leave you feeling tired the next day, but prolonged sleep deprivation can actually negatively impact other aspects of your health and well-being.
From taking a hot bath at night to turning off your phone a few hours before bed, there are many things you can do to help you sleep better.
But one of the most common pieces of advice for people who have trouble sleeping is to exercise regularly. Research shows that this is actually pretty good advice.
For example, a 2015 meta-analysis examining all current studies on sleep quality, duration, and exercise found that both short-term and regular exercise (several sessions per week) contributed to better sleep. shown to be connected.
This means that even one session of exercise may be enough to improve sleep quality and duration.
Studies also show which types of exercise can help improve sleep. For example, regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help people fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, and feel more rested the next morning.
This was true for many types of aerobic exercise, such as cycling, running, and brisk walking.
Even just one 30-minute cardio session can improve many aspects of your sleep, although not as much as regular cardio.
However, it has been shown to improve sleep time, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and increase sleep efficiency (percentage of time actually spent in bed). Higher sleep efficiency indicates better sleep quality.
Research on strength training (such as weightlifting) and its effect on sleep is more limited. However, from the few studies that have been conducted, it appears that resistance exercise can also improve sleep.
Studies have shown that people who do resistance exercise regularly (about three times a week) have better subjective sleep quality. , which can affect performance throughout the day.
Regular resistance training can also help people with insomnia fall asleep faster and sleep more efficiently. However, very little research has been done in this area yet, so we have to be cautious about drawing conclusions.
Luckily, the benefits of exercise for sleep seem to work for everyone, regardless of age or whether they have certain sleep disorders (such as insomnia or sleep apnea).
exercise effects
Research shows that exercise can improve our sleep, but scientists aren’t entirely sure how it does this — there are several theories.
Our body’s sleep-wake cycle is about a 24-hour cycle and is controlled by our internal “clock.”
As part of this cycle, a hormone called melatonin is released in the evening, which helps you feel tired. This may be why people who exercise fall asleep faster.
Exercise also raises core body temperature. But once you finish your workout, your core body temperature starts to return to normal.
A drop in core body temperature also helps you fall asleep. This may explain why, contrary to popular belief, exercise at night actually helps some people sleep better that night.
Exercise can also help you sleep better, as it has positive effects on your mood and mental health. During exercise, your body releases chemicals known as endorphins that improve your mood.
Regular exercise can also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, the positive effects of exercise on both mood and mental health may help people fall asleep more easily.
While more research needs to be done to elucidate exactly why different types of exercise affect different aspects of sleep, it is clear that exercise is beneficial for sleep.
With just 30-60 minutes of exercise each day, you can fall asleep faster, sleep better through the night, and wake up feeling more rested the next morning.
Just one workout can improve your sleep, but regular workouts can help you sleep even better.
With so many types of exercise associated with better sleep, just choose the one you like, whether it’s running, swimming, lifting weights, or brisk walking.
Emma Sweeney, Lecturer in Exercise, Nutrition and Health, Nottingham Trent University
This article is reprinted from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Please read the original article.
