Exercise and improving your sleep health
Having trouble sleeping? Regular exercise is an excellent way to improve your overall sleep health. Exercise and sleep work closely together to have a positive impact on our energy levels to aid an active lifestyle and recovery.
The role of sleep and recovery
Sleep quality before and after exercise is important. Researchers suspect that it is deep sleep that helps improve performance because this is the time when growth hormone is released. Growth hormone stimulates muscle growth and repair, bone building and fat burning. During sleep, the body releases anti-inflammatory cytokines that help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Optimising sleep to aid recovery
It is important to ensure you’re getting the optimal amount of good quality sleep to aid recovery from exercise and ensure your muscles can repair. Give the following tips a try to get the full benefits from your sleep routine:
- Establish a regular evening routine such as reading a book, having a warm bath and limiting screen time 1 hour before bed to help you relax
- Review your sleep environment - a cool, quiet, dark room can aid better sleep
- Recovery from exercise should not only focus on muscle recovery. Reducing mental fatigue is just as important for healthy sleep. Reduce external stressors in your life.
Impact of exercise on sleep quality
Moderate to vigorous exercise can increase sleep quality for adults by reducing sleep onset (the time it takes to fall asleep). It is recommended to wait at least 30-60 minutes after a workout before going to sleep. This time allows your body temperature, heart rate, and adrenaline levels to return to normal.
How do different types of exercise impact sleep?
Aerobic or resistance exercise early in the morning may stimulate earlier melatonin release in the evening which puts you into a state of quiet wakefulness that helps promote sleep.
High intensity exercise in the afternoon may promote sound sleep by reducing wakefulness.
Light resistance or aerobic exercise in the evening may help reduce night time awakenings.