How does working out affect your sleep?
Working out can be a great way to improve your physical fitness and health, but it’s also known to have an impact on your sleep.
Studies have shown that working out can help you to sleep better. One important thing to remember is that the best time to work out if you want to improve the quality of your sleep is to work out in the morning because your body will have time to recover before you go to bed at night. However, if you’re looking to work out in the evening, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster. This is because working out causes your body to release more stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, ultimately improving your quality of sleep. On the other hand, a recent study found that morning exercise can help you to maintain the quality of your sleep throughout the evening as well.
According to Sue Decotiis, a researcher at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, “Exercise helps activate the body’s natural recovery processes, including reductions in cortisol levels, which help to relax the body and promote restful sleep.” As well as helping you to sleep better, regular exercise can have many other health benefits, such as reducing the risk of a number of diseases and improving your mood.
The study also found that people who exercised regularly, either in the morning or evening, slept longer. The researchers noted that people who slept for longer were more likely to report having a better quality of sleep than those who slept for a shorter period of time. These findings suggest that regular physical exercise is beneficial for both the quantity and quality of sleep.
On the other hand, according to the Mayo Clinic, working out can make it difficult to fall asleep due to feelings of stress or anxiety, so it’s important to exercise in moderation.
In general, experts recommend that people limit their workouts to 1–2 hours a day. You should also drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which can also make it difficult to fall asleep.
Exercise should be completed at least three hours before going to sleep. This will allow your body time to recover and enable you to fall asleep more easily. It’s also important to exercise in a cool environment to avoid overheating. So wrap up warm and enjoy a long winter’s nap!
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