Exercise helps promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and keep your body’s internal sleep-wake cycle in sync. One popular opinion though is that working out before bed can make it harder to get a good night’s rest. But, does this show the full picture of the relationship between exercise and sleep?
Recent research has found that it’s possible to enjoy exercise close to bedtime, without compromising your sleep. So, how exactly can you reap the benefits of pre-bedtime exercising while avoiding the downsides?
Does Exercising At Night Help You Sleep?
Yes. Depending on factors like the intensity of the exercises and how close to bedtime you workout, exercising can help or hinder your ability to sleep well. To understand how this is the case, let’s look at the benefits of working out before bed:
Improved Sleep Onset
For some people, engaging in physical activity before bed can help promote relaxation and ease the transition into sleep. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins and reduces levels of stress hormones, which contributes to a sense of calmness and mental relaxation conducive to falling asleep.
Deeper, More Restorative Sleep
Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality and increase the amount of time spent in restorative deep sleep stages. Deep sleep is important for physical recovery, cognitive function, and overall well-being and exercising before bed helps facilitate the onset of deeper rest for some sleepers.
Reduced Nighttime Awakenings
Engaging in physical activity earlier in the evening may help regulate your circadian rhythm and promote more consolidated sleep. By increasing your body’s temperature and then allowing it to cool down naturally post-exercise, you may experience fewer disruptions during the night.
So, if you were wondering, “Are there any benefits of running before bed?”, then the points discussed above all point to “Yes!”.