Can’t Sleep? How To Exercise For Better Sleep

As you get a little older, you will begin to realize how important getting a good night’s sleep is for your health. The fact is the way you sleep is going to dictate how you feel and function during the day. Two or three nights of bad sleep in a row will make that point abundantly clear.

Three things play a key role in how people sleep. First, there is nutrition. People who eat healthy foods tend to sleep better. The fact they don’t take in a lot of sugar and caffeine certainly helps as does the fact they are probably eating foods that promote sleep.

Second, a good mattress is a necessity if people want to be comfortable in bed. Remember, you spend about a third of your life lying in bed. That’s time you want to be spending while getting quality sleep. The right mattress is the one that fits your body style, lifestyle, and makes you want to stay in bed.

Finally, there is exercise. In the sections below, the information is going to focus on the relationship between exercise and being able to sleep consistently well from one night to the next.

The Correlation Between Exercise and Sleep

It would not be going out on a limb to state that there is a direct correlation between the amount of exercise someone does and the duration and quality of the sleep they get. This is a proven fact based on hundreds of studies done throughout the years.

Contrary to popular beliefs, exercising before bedtime is not really all that effective. The fact is it takes the heart and body time to wind down from a workout, and that is something that can cause an individual to have difficulty getting to sleep. If you want to exercise in the evening, you should try to do so at least two hours before your regular bedtime.

Otherwise, you will find out that several little exercise regimens during the morning and afternoons are a far more effective way to wear your body down. Exercising helps reset your body clock. That’s why medical professionals will recommend that you exercise at the same time each day if possible. Resetting your body clock is an essential part of making sure your mind and body know when it’s bedtime.

Also, you don’t need strenuous exercise to make your mind and body crave sleep. You can accomplish that with two to three 15 minute low-intensity exercise regimens a day. It’s the quantity of exercise that matters more than the intensity of the exercise. Tip: A wider range of exercises that focus on all parts of the body is optimum when it comes to promoting a good night’s sleep.

The Best Exercises for Promoting Good Sleep

In the above section, mention was made of how to exercise to promote good sleep habits. At this point, you might benefit from knowing which exercises will be most effective when it comes to promoting a good night’s sleep.

First of all, you are a unique individual. Since your body type and metabolism are unlike anyone else’s, you might want to try a variety of exercises and exercise programs until you find one that seems to help you sleep better at night.

With that said, there are some general exercise guidelines you might want to start with until you find what works for you. In the morning, aerobic or cardio workouts seem to work well. That would include low-intensity options like jogging, running, swimming, walking fast, and bike riding. These types of exercises work well for people who want to get a little exercise before going to work.

If you are interested in strength training, you should do that in the afternoon. Again, it doesn’t have to be hardcore intense training. It can be nothing more than resistance exercise options like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and chip-ups for 15 to 20 minutes a day.

In the evening, your exercise regimen should focus more on relaxation and meditation. Options like stretching exercises and yoga should suffice. These kinds of options play right into the notion that you want to be calming your body and mind down before bedtime.

The Best Time to Exercise for Sleep

As a unique individual, your circumstances will dictate when it’s the best time for you to sleep. No matter what time that might be, it’s important that you find a consistent bedtime and make going to sleep at that time a habit. That also applies to waking up in the morning at the same time even on days you don’t have work.

Once you have your sleeping habits established, it will be easier for you to figure out when to exercise. By the way, don’t forget to create a physical environment that is conducive to sleeping better.