September 18, 2017
Exercise offers many wonderful benefits including improving one' mood, weight management, increased muscular conditioning and bone health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and more. There' also another important aspect of our lives that exercise can benefit , sleep. Research shows that exercise can actually improve one' sleep quality and help people to feel less tired throughout the day. In addition to the impact exercise has on sleep, getting a good night sleep can also have a positive impact on exercising. It' a synergistic relationship that can really improve the overall quality of one' life.
How Exercise Can Help You Sleep Better The American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health recommend that healthy adults participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. That' roughly 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Based on this volume of exercising, 
studies show that adults can experience up to a 
65 percent improvement in sleep quality. It' believed that exercise can improve one' sleep in the following ways:
- Exercise reduces stress, allowing individuals to sleep better at night instead of worrying about things.
- Exercise has a positive effect on depression. Although it' not a cure for depression, it does give sufferers and emotional or mental boost.
- Exercise can help with restless leg syndrome, which is a disorder of the nervous system that often involves itching, burning or twitching of one' limbs and face. Typically, these symptoms occur at night and cause sleeping problems for sufferers. Exercise can help to alleviate some of these symptoms, allowing sufferers to sleep better at night.
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Research shows that exercise can directly reduce sleep apnea symptoms in the millions of Americans who suffer from this sleep disorder.
- Exercise can physically tire you out, which may help those who have trouble falling asleep.
- Exercise can impact our sleep-wake cycle through the increase and decrease of body temperatures. This fluctuation can trigger the body to feel tired and sleepy.
- Exercise has been found to significantly improve sleep quality in the millions of adults suffering from insomnia, especially by reducing stress and increasing one' fatigue.
Daytime exercises that can help you sleep at night As mentioned, the national guidelines for physical activity call for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercising per week. This can include the following:
Cardiovascular Exercise Cardiovascular exercising, cardio for short, is any exercise or activity that increases your heart rate and blood circulation throughout your body. Cardio can improve heart health, increase metabolism, improve healing and recovery, strengthens the lungs, improves moods, reduces body weight and body fat. When done on a regular basis, as little as 10 minutes of cardio per day (like walking or riding a bike) can improve one' sleep quality.
Weight Training The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that individuals participate in weight training programs at least 2 days per week in addition to the 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Weight training improves bone density, increases muscular strength and conditioning, increases strength in tendons and ligaments, and it can improve body composition. As for sleep, weight training can help to tire you out, reduce chronic diseases, aid in healing or recovering from injuries, and reduce stress.
HIIT High-Intensity Interval Training, HITT for short, is an advanced form of exercise that uses bouts of vigorous exercise with bouts of moderate to easy exercise. This type of workout has been found to increase cardiovascular health in addition to increasing muscular conditioning and one' metabolism, which prompts the body to burn off calories longer. HIIT is designed for intermediate to advanced exercisers and it will definitely aid in tiring you out or reducing risk factors for sleep disorders like stress, depression, and obesity.
Stretching In addition to cardio and weight training, the ACSM also recommends at least 2 days of stretching per week. Stretching can help improve flexibility, range of motion, joint integrity and circulation. It can also have a positive impact on your mind. Stretching before bed can help you feel more relaxed and at peace, which will allow you to fall asleep sooner and sleep better throughout the night. If you prefer, stretching can also be done in the morning time and, surprisingly, it offers additional benefits. A morning stretching routine can help to wake you up, especially if you feel tired or didn't sleep well the night before. The improved circulation from stretching gets the body going by revving up the metabolism, increasing the heart rate and warming up the muscles. Therefore, you feel an uptick in energy and alertness.
When is the best time to exercise for better sleep? Unfortunately, researchers are still debating over the ideal time to exercise for better sleep. Some experts believe that it' best to exercise in the morning or early afternoon in order to experience the physical benefits of exercise and to feel more tired by bedtime. Additionally, these experts believe that exercising before bed can stimulate the body to the point where it' become too difficult to fall asleep. Other researchers feel that a vigorous workout in the evening can physically tire you out to the point where you are more susceptible to a deep, uninterrupted sleep. Ultimately, it comes down to each individual. If you feel that working out earlier in the day helps you to sleep better at night then stick with that time. Conversely, if nighttime workouts help improve your sleep, then continue with them. The important thing is being consistent with your workouts.
Consistency is Key To really enjoy the benefits that exercise has on sleep, you need to stay consistent with your workout routines. Research shows that over time, exercise can significantly improve sleep quality, but it doesn't happen overnight. Although an individual vigorous workout session can make you feel tired and sleep better that night, this will not last long if you don't stay consistent with it. And, for those nights where you come home tired, hot and sweaty from a vigorous workout session, consider sleeping on a 
Sleep 500 cooling mattress. It offers superior support and comfort due to its premium quality memory foam. Additionally, it relieves tension, distributes your body weight evenly, and ensures a cool night sleep with its advanced Nordic Chill fabric and infused cooling gel.
