Want a better night’s sleep? Avoid intense workouts 2 hours before bed

In order to lead the to study, the team carried out a review of the literature on this subject in six large scientific databases.

They were able to identify a total of 15 trials involving 194 people.

The participants were either good sedentary sleepers or in good physical shape, between the ages of 18 and 50.

Each study used either objective measures, like polysomnography or actigraphy, or the participants’ subjective judgment to assess how high-intensity exercise affected people’s sleep.

The team then proceeded to analyze the data they had collected.

One of the salient findings of their analysis was how the timing of exercise affected sleep.

When exercise ended at least 2 hours before bedtime, people fell asleep faster and slept longer. This was especially true for the more sedentary people.

However, if the exercise ended less than 2 hours before bedtime, the reverse happened. People took longer to fall asleep and slept less.

The researchers further found that exercising between 30 and 60 minutes also improved the onset and duration of sleep.

Cycling exercises have been the most beneficial in helping people fall asleep and sleep soundly, according to the team.

However, the study also mentioned that high-intensity exercise, regardless of when it occurred, slightly decreased REM sleep state (REM). REM sleep is associated with dreaming. Some studies suggest that a decrease in REM sleep may have a negative effect on cognitive tasks, according to the study authors.

On the other hand, according to Tamara Hew-Butler, DPM, PhD, FACSM, associate professor of exercise and athletic science in the College of Education at Wayne State University, high-intensity exercise elicits a strong sympathetic nervous system response known as the “fight or flight” response.

The fight-or-flight response is a survival response that our body has in the face of threats, real or perceived. It prepares us to either fight against these threats or to flee to safety by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate.

This same physiological response is triggered by intense exercise, leaving you prepared for action, not sleep.

Hew-Butler said it’s generally believed that high-intensity exercise done within about 3 hours of bedtime can interfere with sleep – especially falling asleep – because it increases arousal, temperature central body, stress and sympathetic hyperactivity.

It can also cause a “phase delay” in the circadian rhythm, she explained, causing you to stay awake later and wake up later due to the delayed release of melatonin, the hormone that triggers the disease. nighttime sleepiness.

Yasi Ansari, MS, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in sports nutrition and national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said this review suggests that an evening of high-intensity exercise may benefit the quality of nighttime sleep, if done earlier in the evening.

However, if you exercise closer to when you settle in for the night, it could disrupt your sleep.

Regardless of what the study indicates, Ansari suggests that you should tailor your exercise habits to your own body.

“I encourage readers to understand what works best for them and the type and time of training that promotes their sleep,” she said.

“While there is research for us and recommendations backed by research, it is also important that each person see what works best for them, their energy and the quality of their sleep. ”