Exercise Today: You'll Sleep Better

New studies are revealing further evidence of the link between exercise and sleep hygiene. And these significant studies may finally show which exercises lead to deeper and better sleep throughout the night. 

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine recently released findings that show survey results from almost 430,000 adults. They were asked to specifically outline the type of physical activity they spent doing the most in the past month and how many hours per 24-hour cycle they slept. 

They found that the more survey respondents conducted intense exercise routines, the better they slept. Exercises highlighted as particularly beneficial were calisthenics, biking, gardening, golfing, running, weightlifting, yoga, and Pilates. 

They study also found that those who spent most of their daily activity on household chores and childcare activities experienced higher instances of inadequate sleep. 

We already know exercise can promote deeper sleep, which allows you to wake up rested and refreshed, giving you more energy for the following day’s work and workout.  We understand you are tired, but if you are still tossing and turning at night – your body may not be tired enough.  Expending more energy throughout your day, through whatever type of exercise that works best for you can help put an end to this. Here are some ways to use exercise to get better sleep.

1. Increase your cardio:

Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is the kind of exercise that gets your heart going and increases your breathing rate.  Cardio includes, running, biking, and swimming.  Cardio has been shown to clear stress hormones, relieve anxiety and positively affect sleep. The body compensates for the physical exertion of a cardio workout by spending more time in deeper, and sounder sleep to recover.  

2. Exercise after work:

Clearly this is the most difficult time of the day to get motivated, after an early rise and a whole day at work.   Exercising at this time however, can give you a surge of energy during a time you would typically be most lazy and use up unspent energy to get you prepped for a deeper sleep later at night.   Research has also shown that exercise after work increases the body temperature, allowing it to regulate down to the perfect temperature to make you sleepy before bed.   Just make sure that you exercise at least 3-4 hours before you try to get to sleep in order to allow yourself enough time to relax and come down off the energy boost before bed.  

3. Increase your daily activity:

If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, you may not be getting enough activity or using enough energy throughout the day.   Most nine to five desk jobs force us to stay sedentary for most of the day, so this comes to no surprise.  Increasing activity doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym.  There are easy ways to get more active in your daily routine, and use up excess energy that could be keeping you awake in bed at night.  Stretching during the day, walking to or from work, or using the stairs instead of the elevator might be all you need to see some positive changes in your sleep patterns.  

4. Try some yoga before bed:

Certain resting or inversion yoga poses can relieve muscle tension throughout the body and release stress for better sleep.  These soothing exercises are especially conducive to relaxation and sleep when done at night or in bed before checking out for the night.  Focusing on deep breathing, trying some seated or standing forward bends, or a simple corpse pose can combat restlessness and ease you into better sleep.