Sprout

Will exercising before bedtime impact my sleep?

Sprout Admin -

You may have heard that you shouldn’t exercise right before going to bed. Instead, it is often recommended to workout during the day in order to relax in the evenings and wind down before going to sleep.

But is there any merit to the well-known adage that avoiding exercise before bedtime is best? This article will cover the relationship between sleep quality and exercise, so you can make an informed decision on when to work out each day.

There is good research evidence that regular physical activity contributes to better sleep quality. Some studies have also shown that the time of the day that you exercise might not have as much of an impact on your sleep as we first thought. Therefore, it’s possible to get your workout done in the evening and still get a good night’s sleep.

However, the intensity of exercise might have an impact on sleep. Moderate intensity exercise was associated more often with better sleep than high intensity exercise. Moderate intensity is exercise that may raise your heart rate and feel a bit challenging but doesn't leave your feeling exhausted.

Therefore, when it comes to your sleep quality, all exercise might not be equal. If you usually perform very tough, high-intensity workouts, you might be better off performing them earlier in the day if you are finding that your exercise routine is negatively impacting your sleep quality or quantity. The harder the workout, the more your core body temperature rises. This can impact your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night.

The body needs to be slightly cooler for you to fall asleep. If you’re too hot, it may be difficult to fall asleep until your core temperature is finally able to drop. Leaving your high-intensity workout until the hour or two before you go to bed may, therefore, undermine your sleep quality.

If you don’t have time to work out earlier in the day, what are the best types of exercise to do before you go to sleep? Here are some moderate-intensity options:

  • Yoga
  • Stretching
  • Walking
  • Swimming

Some of the exercises you might want to avoid right before bedtime are:

  • High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or circuit training
  • Intense, heavy weight lifting
  • Sprinting
  • Skipping
  • Boxing