Exercise for a Goodnight Rest

Exercise and sleep might sound like complete opposites, but they have more connections than you think.

Doing some physical activity during the daytime could make a big difference to your sleeping quality at night, particularly if you've been having trouble sleeping.

When to Exercise

Exercising too close to bedtime can actually stop you getting sleep.

• Try to make sure you've finished exercising at least three hours before you head to bed to give your body a chance to cool down.¹
• Don't forget to warm up before you exercise and cool down afterwards, so you're not left with aching muscles the next day.
• Working shifts can affect many aspects of your life, and can wreak havoc with your sleep.
• Exercising at least twice a week makes it more efficient to manage your sleep patterns.
• Exercising can also reduce the side effects of working at “unusual” hours such as anxiety, depression and poor eating habits.²

What Kind of Exercise?
Any type of exercise will do, pick what you enjoy!

• Light, moderate or vigorous activities have all been shown to have a positive effect on sleep.
• Research has also found that the longer you exercise, the longer you'll be able to sleep.¹
• Try and go for at least an hour or so of exercise. If you can, doing this 5 days a week will help keep you healthy and reduce your chances of developing a number of diseases.³
• Moderate exercise leaves you slightly out of breath, but still able to carry on a conversation. i.e. brisk walking, dancing or leisurely roller-blading, swimming, cycling or carrying heavy bags back from the store.

Exercise Benefits

• Helps to promote sleeping quality by reducing stress and anxiety, a common cause of sleep problems.
• Affects body temperature, as the body becomes more prepared for sleep.¹
• Gives you more energy in the long-run
• Your memory and ability to learn things should also improve when you sleep better⁴
• Like excercise, having sufficient sleep will help you to control your weight.⁵

Sleep is an essential part of our lives, so try and get a good night's sleep every night to help you feel and perform your best. Make the time to try exercising, that will increase your chance of a good night sleep.

Sources

1. Loprinzi PD & Cardinal BJ. Association between objectively-measured physical activity and sleep, NHANES 2005-2006. Mental Health and Physical Activity 2011; 4(2): 65-69.
2. Atkinson G & Davenne D. Relationships between sleep, physical activity and human health. Physiology and Behavior 2007; 90(2-3): 229-235.
3. At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health. Department of Health. 15th December 2011.
   Yoo S et al. A deficit in the ability to form new human memories without sleep. Nature Neuroscience 2007; 10(3): 385-392.
4. Patel SR & Hu FB. Short sleep duration and weight gain: a systematic review. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008; 16(3): 643-53.