Exercise to fight insomnia
It is important to take the necessary time to exercise regularly. This means that many people choose to work out in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, and even at night before sleeping. However, the number of people who have trouble sleeping after exercising late at night is increasing. Therefore, it would be advisable to consider these tips to combat insomnia without sacrificing physical activity.
Suggestions for sleeping well after physical activity.
If the night is the ideal time to exercise and it does not interfere with sleep, then it is advisable to continue with that routine. However, if this is not the case and you cannot even close your eyes after exercising, it is better to change the routine.
Choosing a less intense workout could be a good option. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) could be moved to the morning or afternoon. Therefore, at night, a less strenuous routine like Pilates, Yoga, or even walking can be done, or you could reduce the intensity of your usual workout. Yoga is particularly beneficial as it helps relax, reduce stress, and consequently, sleep better.
Another idea is to try exercising 3 or 4 hours before sleep. A study has confirmed that vigorous exercise at night could improve sleep rather than disrupt it. Another research following 52 students aged 19 who did sports for 90 minutes at night showed they ended up sleeping one hour earlier than usual.
However, researchers suggest that many people will sleep better if they exercise—even if the exercise is done at night, one or two hours before bed. If your lifestyle requires exercising at night, there are ways to improve your chances of sleeping well.
After all, exercising at night is much better than not exercising at all and missing out on all the health benefits. Sleep and exercise are equally important for your health, so the secret is to develop a routine that optimizes both.
Recent studies suggest that fewer people suffer from insomnia after exercise than previously thought. A 2013 survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 83 percent of people report sleeping better when they exercise than when they don’t, even if they do it at night.
Two other studies confirmed that vigorous exercise at night could improve sleep rather than disturb it. In one study, 52 students aged 19 who exercised for over 90 minutes at night ended up sleeping 1.5 hours earlier than usual.
Those who reported a higher effort during their workout fell asleep faster, woke up less often during the night, and slept more deeply than those who exercised more moderately.
If you have been avoiding exercising at night for fear of insomnia, it is worth trying this theory—you may be pleasantly surprised. However, if your experiment fails, you might need to try a few tricks to help your body relax faster to sleep.
Overdoing exercise can be counterproductive
One of the main causes of insomnia is overexercising. Exercising excessively or incorrectly can be counterproductive to your health in many ways, including interfering with sleep.
Excessive exercise can actually cause your tissues to tear, inflame, and fail to heal or repair, increasing your risk of injury. This is why it is so important to ensure that your body has enough time to recover fully between each session.
Resistance exercises activate your stress response, raising stress hormones—cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. If these hormones remain elevated all the time, it is not good for your heart, fitness, or overall health.
Stress hormones increase your heart rate, alertness, and blood flow to your muscles, allowing you to continue physical activity, but this could make it harder for you to fall asleep.
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