Getting exercise during the day has been shown to help many people get a good night’s sleep and help with falling asleep faster. If sleeping is something you struggle with, there are a couple of ways to use exercise to improve your nightly Z’s. Luckily, exercising one day will usually improve your sleep that same night.
Get Your Heart Rate Up
Getting your heart rate up at any time during the day will usually lead to a more peaceful sleep at night. Researchers don’t know exactly why it is, but in general, using physical activity to release tension and pent-up energy is always a good idea so that you won’t be antsy when you go to bed.
Time of Day
You can exercise at any time of day, but researchers do say it’s best to avoid cardio in the hour or two before bedtime. Getting your heart rate up will give you a rush of adrenaline and make it much harder to fall asleep for a while after. However, if you time it right, as your adrenaline rates fall you’ll get a bout of sleepiness, exercising a couple of hours before bed may work for you. Feel free to do a little experimenting.
Stretching Before Bed
Research also shows that “meditative movement” such as yoga or soft stretches can bring a sense of peace and calm over the body. Doing some nice stretches or yoga each night before bed can help you ready your mind and body for a restful sleep.
