2499: Can Exercising Before Bed Affect Your Sleep? by Kirsten Nunez with Healthline on Improving Sleep Quality

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[00:01:03] This is Optimal Health Daily Episode 2499. Can exercising before bed affect your sleep,

[00:01:10] by Kyrsten Nunez with Healthline.com and I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator. And

[00:01:16] I'm going to keep this intro nice and short so let's jump right in and get right to

[00:01:20] another post and continue optimizing your life. Can exercising before bed affect your sleep

[00:01:30] by Kyrsten Nunez with Healthline.com. Regular exercise has many benefits including

[00:01:37] better sleep, it can promote relaxation, reducing anxiety and normalize your internal clock.

[00:01:44] Exercise also increases your core body temperature when it begins to drop you feel sleepy. It's

[00:01:50] been long believed that working out before bed can make it harder to get a good night's

[00:01:54] rest. But according to recent research, this may not necessarily be true. Studies have

[00:01:59] found that it's possible to enjoy exercise close to bedtime without compromising your sleep.

[00:02:06] The key is to be mindful of the exact timing and to focus on the type of exercise that

[00:02:11] won't affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Listen on to learn more about

[00:02:16] what the science says and how to work out in the evening. What does the research say?

[00:02:23] Recent studies have challenged the notion that exercising too late in the day could disrupt

[00:02:27] your sleep. In a small 2020 study, 12 health emails visited a lab on three separate nights.

[00:02:34] They did either 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, 30 minutes of moderate intensity

[00:02:40] resistance training, or no exercise at all. Each workout ended 90 minutes before bedtime.

[00:02:47] As the participants slept in the lab, the researchers measured their core body temperature

[00:02:51] and sleep quality. The researchers determined that moderate intensity evening workouts didn't

[00:02:57] affect the participant's sleep. Another 2020 study had similar results. 16 men and women

[00:03:04] finished moderate intensity workouts at different times, including four or two hours before bedtime.

[00:03:11] The researchers found that exercising in the evening did not disturb the participant's

[00:03:15] ability to sleep. Finally, a 2019 review analyzed 23 studies on evening exercise and sleep.

[00:03:24] The review determined that evening workouts can improve sleep as long as the exercise

[00:03:28] was done at a moderate, not vigorous intensity and ended more than one hour before bedtime.

[00:03:36] Are some kinds of exercise better than others before bedtime?

[00:03:40] Not all exercises are equal when it comes to how they affect your sleep. That's why if

[00:03:45] you want to work out in the evening, it's important to choose your activity wisely.

[00:03:50] Consider the exact timing of your exercise too. In general, if you're going to exercise

[00:03:55] at night, it's best to do light to moderate intensity activity. This level of activity

[00:04:01] may help you fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. It's also important

[00:04:06] to complete your workout at least one hour before bedtime. If possible, aim to finish

[00:04:12] at least 90 minutes before you head to bed. This will give your body enough time to wind

[00:04:17] down. Examples of light to moderate intensity activities include yoga, stretching, walking,

[00:04:25] swimming leisurely, biking leisurely and light to moderate weightlifting. But vigorous workouts

[00:04:32] should be avoided in the evening. Strenuous physical activity can stimulate your nervous

[00:04:37] system and raise your heart rate too much, making it difficult to fall asleep. Examples

[00:04:43] of vigorous intensity exercise include high intensity interval training or HIIT, running,

[00:04:50] swimming laps, jumping rope, competitive cycling and heavy weightlifting. How much exercise

[00:04:57] is helpful for sleep? To improve your sleep health, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate

[00:05:03] intensity aerobic activity during the day or evening. However, regular exercise is essential

[00:05:10] for continuous sleep benefits. Strive for 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic

[00:05:16] exercise every week. You can do this by doing 30 minute workouts 5 days a week. If it's

[00:05:22] hard to commit to 30 minutes at a time, you could break this up into two 15 minute workouts

[00:05:28] a day 5 days a week. Or if you prefer a more strenuous workout, aim for at least 75 minutes

[00:05:36] of vigorous intensity activity each week. Just be sure not to do this type of exercise

[00:05:41] within a few hours of your bedtime. Find an activity that you enjoy. When you truly

[00:05:46] like an exercise, it will be easier to do it regularly. What else can help you sleep well?

[00:05:53] In addition to staying active, there are other steps that you can take to help boost your

[00:05:57] sleep health. 1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Wake up and go to bed at the same time

[00:06:05] every day, even on the weekends or your days off. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule

[00:06:10] can help to stabilize your body clock. 2. Avoid electronic devices before bedtime. Turn

[00:06:17] off televisions, smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime.

[00:06:24] The light from these devices can stimulate your brain and keep you awake.

[00:06:27] 3. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Take a warm bath, listen to soothing music, do

[00:06:35] some yoga poses or stretches, or meditate before going to bed.

[00:06:40] 4. Reduce Noise Pollution. Use a fan, air conditioner or white noise machine to drown

[00:06:46] out sounds that may keep you awake. 5. Sleep at a comfortable temperature. Keep your sleeping

[00:06:53] temperature at or near 65 degrees Fahrenheit or around 18 degrees centigrade. 6. Get comfortable.

[00:07:02] Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and in good shape.

[00:07:07] 7. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Try not to eat a big meal within a couple of hours

[00:07:13] of going to bed, if you're hungry, eat a light snack like toast or a piece of fruit.

[00:07:18] 8. Avoid nicotine, alcohol and caffeine before bed. These substances can make it hard

[00:07:25] to get quality sleep. 9. Keep naps short. Avoid napping for longer than 20 to 30 minutes,

[00:07:34] especially in the afternoon. Napping for longer than this can make it difficult to fall asleep

[00:07:39] at night. The bottom line. Working out before bedtime has usually

[00:07:45] been discouraged. It was thought that exercising later in the day could make it harder

[00:07:49] to fall asleep and have a good night sleep. However, recent studies have found that

[00:07:55] moderate intensity exercise won't impact your sleep if you complete it at least one

[00:08:00] hour before bedtime. On the other hand, strenuous physical activity just before bedtime may

[00:08:06] have a negative effect on your sleep. This includes workouts like running high-intensity interval

[00:08:12] training or hit and lifting heavy weights. Everyone is different though. The best time

[00:08:18] to get active is the time that works for you. What's most important is that you exercise

[00:08:24] regularly whenever that may be. You just listen to the post titled,

[00:08:32] Can Exercising Before Bed Effect Your Sleep by Kirsten Nunez with Healthline.com and

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[00:09:43] Indeed.com slash health terms and conditions apply need to hire you need indeed. Dr.

[00:09:51] Neil here for my commentary. Today's author, Kirsten, discuss some advantages to staying

[00:09:56] consistently active most days of the week. Another advantage to being active consistently

[00:10:02] is that regular exercises tend to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply than those

[00:10:08] that don't exercise regularly. Now going back to the idea of exercising in the evening,

[00:10:15] people will often ask me but Dr. Neil the only time I have to exercise is right before

[00:10:21] bed. I know that both exercise and sleep are important so I don't know whether to exercise

[00:10:28] and possibly ruin my sleep or to skip exercising so I can sleep better. The answer to that

[00:10:35] conundrum is that you can have both. You can exercise in the evening and still get quality

[00:10:41] sleep as Kirsten said in today's article, just try to stay away from the high intensity

[00:10:47] activities in the evenings. All right, that'll do it for today. I hope you have a great rest

[00:10:52] of your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A and where your

[00:10:57] optimal life awaits.