Exercising regularly can improve sleep by helping you fall asleep faster, increasing sleep duration, and leaving you feeling stronger in the morning. Questions often arise about whether exercising at night, when adrenaline levels are elevated, can affect the ability to fall asleep or impact sleep quality.
Research Findings
A review published in the Journal of Sports Medicine found that evening exercise does not significantly impair sleep and, in some cases, slightly improves it. However, there is an exception. Vigorous exercise within one hour of bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep and may reduce sleep quality.
Another study examined sleep and exercise in more than 14,000 people wearing fitness monitors. It found that intense workouts close to bedtime were linked to poor sleep, shorter sleep duration, and a higher nighttime heart rate. Workouts that ended at least four hours before bedtime, however, did not appear to disrupt sleep quality.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.
