Improving your sleep with exercise

The importance of getting a good night sleep is well evident, with numerous health benefits including:

• Reducing the risk of obesity and health disease
• Improved mental health and wellbeing
• Improved concentration, productivity, and brain function

With an extensive review finding that adults with shorter sleep duration were 89% more likely to develop obesity, it is vital to keep a healthy sleep schedule.

There are many factors which can influence your sleep quality including:

• Diet: Sugar, caffeine and alcohol can disrupt sleeping patterns. (The best foods to help you sleep)
• Mood: Stress and worry can keep you up at night. (Learn to Leave Stress Behind at Bedtime)
• Environment: Light, sound and temperature can affect our sleep hygiene.

Regular physical activity can aid with sleep through a number of ways:

• Exercise helps improve the quality of your sleep through increasing not only the overall duration of your rest but increasing the time you spend in deep sleep- which is the most important stage to help you feel refreshed in the morning.
• Regular activity has shown to reduce stress and anxiety, which can lead to poor quality sleep and increased restlessness at night. With physical activity reducing cortisol levels, with is your body’s main stress hormone.
• One of the important aspects to improving your sleep is through developing regular routines and sleep patterns. A morning workout can help increase your motivation to turn off the screen and get to bed at an adequate hour.

The relationship between sleep and exercise with vary between individuals, so be sure to find what works best for you. Ensure you set good habits to ensure that both your sleep and physical activity are working together to promote your overall wellbeing. Be sure to consult your doctor for any chronic sleep issues which are affecting the way you live and move.

Judah Morris
NQSF Program Coordinator
BExPhysiol(Clin)