Tips for sleeping after exercising

It was previously thought that for most people, exercising just before bedtime was a barrier to better sleep. A recent study found that wasn’t really the case; An informed 83% of those surveyed said they sleep better after exercising, even if it’s right before bedtime. In the same survey, people who say they exercise moderately to vigorously slept better on training days than on non-exercising days. In general terms, it can be said that exercise, regardless of when it is done, allows you to sleep better.

So, to summarize the findings, exercise-induced insomnia may be a bit of an exaggeration than previously thought. But there are some people who have trouble trying to sleep after exercising. Also, there may be a gray area in this whole topic which we will cover shortly. If you’re avoiding exercising at night because of what you’ve heard, it might be helpful to see how exercise affects you. You may find that you have been avoiding late-night workouts without just cause.

However, if you are one of the few severely affected, here are some tips to help you relax so you can sleep better. Getting enough sleep is just as important as getting enough exercise, and it’s quite possible that more people have health problems due to insomnia than lack of exercise. Therefore, getting a good night’s sleep is a high priority.

1. Try not to exercise too much. Too much exercise can activate the stress response and elevate stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Stress hormones help you perform daily physical activities by increasing blood flow to your muscles due to increased heart rate. Cortisol typically peaks shortly after waking up and then declines throughout the day, reaching its trough just before you go to sleep. But an intense training session can cause cortisol levels to rise again.

If you must exercise before bed, a less strenuous exercise regimen may be better. This would include Pilates or yoga, and could mean HIIT should be left for another time of day.

2. Be careful what you drink when you exercise. Many people drink coffee to enhance their workout gains, but caffeine in the late afternoon or early evening can be a real problem for sleep. Also, you should drink plenty of water, as becoming dehydrated during training can lead to trouble sleeping.

3. Take a hot shower or bath. Raising your body temperature just before bed with a hot sauna, shower, or bath can make it easier to fall asleep. When your body temperature drops suddenly upon exiting the sauna, it will help your body to shut down, allowing you to get over the stress you just went through in your exercise routine.

4. The type of exercise could be a factor. Sometimes it’s not just the exercise, but what goes along with that exercise. Personally, I’ve never had too much trouble working out before bed, but when I used to play futsal, some of our games were late at night. At the time, he had trouble sleeping for about two hours after games, but that probably had more to do with the intensity of the competition than the actual physical exertion.