Miya Pearson
Sleep and exercise are intertwined, and optimizing your exercise routine can potentially help you sleep better. Morning and evening exercises have been shown to promote deep sleep, but the timing of your workout matters. Vigorous workouts within an hour of bedtime can affect sleep efficiency and total sleep time, as your body temperature and heart rate remain elevated, making it difficult to fall asleep. However, aerobic exercise in the morning or afternoon stimulates an earlier release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and shifts your circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep early.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time of exercise | Morning or afternoon exercise stimulates melatonin release and shifts the circadian rhythm. |
| Type of exercise | Aerobic or resistance exercise in the morning helps you fall asleep faster at night. |
| Timing | Avoid exercising less than three hours before going to bed. |
| Hydration | Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising to prevent dehydration, which raises the heart rate and makes it difficult to lower body temperature. |
| Temperature | Take a hot bath or shower after exercising and keep your bedroom cool. The process of warming up and then cooling down helps prepare your body for sleep. |
| Caffeine intake | Limit caffeine consumption if you struggle to sleep after late afternoon/evening workouts. |
| Fitness level | Increasing your fitness level can help solve sleep problems after a workout. |
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What You'll Learn
Morning exercise stimulates melatonin release and shifts the circadian rhythm
Morning exercise is an effective way to stimulate melatonin release and shift the circadian rhythm. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and is often taken as a supplement by those struggling with sleep issues. Morning exercise, particularly when done outdoors, can help to stabilise circadian rhythms, making it easier to fall asleep early.
Research has shown that aerobic exercise in the morning or afternoon stimulates an earlier release of melatonin and shifts the circadian rhythm. Morning exercise has been found to increase the onset and peak of melatonin levels. This is in contrast to evening exercise, which has been found to delay the melatonin rhythm phase. Morning exercise can also help to decrease cortisol concentrations after awakening, improving sleep quality.
The mechanism by which morning exercise results in the development of circadian rhythms is not yet fully understood. However, it is known that exposure to morning light can phase advance circadian rhythms. One study found that the combination of bright light and exercise had a significant phase-delaying effect compared to exercise alone. This suggests that late-night bright light followed by early morning exercise may have a circadian phase-shifting effect.
Chronotype also influences the effect of timed exercise. Morning exercise has been found to have the most potential to alleviate circadian misalignment in the late chronotype, often observed in young individuals. Morning exercise may help to better align the internal circadian rhythms of young people with the light-dark cycle and early morning social obligations.
Overall, morning exercise is a beneficial way to promote healthy sleep patterns by stimulating melatonin release and shifting the circadian rhythm.
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Avoid caffeine before bed after a late afternoon/evening workout
Caffeine is a powerful substance that improves exercise performance. Coffee, in particular, is a tasty, affordable, and natural source of caffeine, antioxidants, and nutrients. It can help boost strength, power, and endurance during workouts. However, caffeine is known to keep you awake and alert. Once consumed, it is quickly absorbed and distributed throughout your body, including your brain.
Adenosine, a neurotransmitter, helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle. Its levels in your brain fluctuate—fairly low when you wake up and slowly building throughout the day. After several hours of being awake, adenosine levels increase to a point where they start the process of making you sleepy. However, if its receptors are blocked by caffeine, the downstream sleep-promoting pathways aren't activated, and you stay awake and alert. According to the FDA, the half-life of caffeine—the time it takes for the starting amount of the substance to reduce by half—is between four and six hours. Hence, it is recommended to stop consuming caffeinated drinks at least 6–8 hours before bedtime.
While caffeine can enhance your exercise performance, it is essential to be mindful of the timing of your caffeine intake, especially if you are working out in the late afternoon or early evening. Caffeine tolerance varies from person to person, with some people tolerating higher doses and others experiencing side effects after a single cup of coffee. It is best to listen to your body and find an amount and timing that works for you.
If you are working out in the late afternoon or early evening, it is advisable to avoid caffeine close to bedtime. Instead, opt for rehydrating drinks to get a good night's sleep. Allow some time to reset and relax after your workout before trying to sleep.
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Avoid vigorous workouts in the hour before bed
Exercise is a great way to improve your sleep quality and overall health. However, it's important to be mindful of the timing and intensity of your workouts, especially if you're exercising close to bedtime.
Vigorous workouts in the hour before bed can negatively impact your sleep efficiency and total sleep time. Here's why you should avoid intense exercise within that hour before bed and what you can do instead to optimize your sleep:
Firstly, exercise raises your core body temperature, which signals to your body clock that it's time to be awake. It takes about 30 to 90 minutes for your core body temperature to start falling, and this decline helps facilitate sleepiness. Therefore, exercising too close to bedtime can disrupt your body's natural cooling process, making it harder to fall asleep.
Secondly, dehydration after intense exercise can lead to an increased heart rate, making it challenging to fall asleep. Dehydration can also make it more difficult to regulate your core temperature, which is crucial for sleep. To prevent dehydration, ensure you're adequately hydrated before, during, and after your workout.
Additionally, intense exercise stimulates the production of stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine, which can keep your body feeling alert and delay sleep. The bright lights at the gym or during evening workouts can also suppress melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.
Instead of vigorous workouts close to bedtime, opt for lighter exercises or a relaxing bedtime routine. You can try yoga or light stretching to help your body cool down and prepare for sleep. Creating a wind-down routine that includes activities like reading, meditation, or listening to soothing music can also help signal to your body that it's time to rest.
Remember, the effects of exercise on sleep can vary from person to person, so it's important to listen to your body and find what works best for you.
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Rehydrate thoroughly before bed to lower your heart rate
Dehydration can cause an increase in heart rate, which can negatively impact sleep. To get a good night's sleep, it is important to rehydrate thoroughly before bed. This is especially important after exercising, as the body loses fluids through sweating.
When the body is dehydrated, the amount of blood flowing through the body is reduced, so the heart has to work harder to stabilize blood flow. This results in an increased heart rate. By rehydrating before bed, you can help lower your heart rate and improve your chances of falling asleep.
It is recommended that females consume 11.5 cups, or 2.7 liters, of water per day, while males should consume 15.5 cups, or 3.7 liters. These recommendations include water from food and other beverages, not just pure water.
In addition to rehydrating, there are other things you can do to lower your heart rate and improve your sleep after exercising. Firstly, allow some time to reset and relax after exercising before trying to sleep. This is because exercise increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol and the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which can keep the body hyped up even after the exercise is over.
Secondly, consider the timing of your workouts. While morning and evening exercise have both been shown to promote deep sleep, high-intensity workouts in the hour before bed can negatively affect sleep efficiency and total sleep time. Therefore, it may be beneficial to avoid vigorous exercise in the hour leading up to bedtime. Instead, opt for light aerobic exercise or resistance exercise in the early evening, as these have been found to be best for reducing nighttime awakenings.
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Cool down your body with a shower after a workout
Exercise has been proven to have a bidirectional relationship with sleep. While exercise can improve sleep quality, sleep can also promote healthier physical activity levels. However, the timing of your workout can impact your sleep. Vigorous workouts an hour before bed can negatively affect sleep efficiency and total sleep time.
Cooling down your body after a workout is essential, and a shower can help with that. But hopping into a cold shower right after a workout might cause your muscles to stiffen or your heart rate to speed up. Instead, start with a lukewarm or moderately warm shower and finish with cold water. This will help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue and improve your skin and hair health.
If you don't have time for a shower, you can cool down with 5 to 10 minutes of light stretching and slow exercise. This will help clear out lactic acid and prevent soreness from exercise.
Showering after a workout is also important for hygiene, as it washes away sweat and dead skin cells that can host bacteria.
If you're struggling to sleep after a workout, it's important to give your body time to reset and relax. You can also try rehydrating, as dehydration raises your heart rate.
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Frequently asked questions
Exercise increases our endorphin levels, which block pain and increase pleasure. It also impacts the neurotransmitter dopamine, which helps regulate sleep cycles. Morning and evening exercise has been shown to promote deep sleep, with morning exercise helping you fall asleep faster at night, and evening exercise helping reduce night-time awakenings.
Aerobic exercise in the morning or afternoon stimulates an earlier release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and shifts the circadian rhythm. Resistance exercise or light aerobic exercise in the early evening is best for reducing night-time awakenings.
Research suggests that total sleep duration increases after workouts of at least an hour. However, 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise may be enough to see a difference in sleep quality that same night.
Avoid exercising less than three hours before going to bed. Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising to prevent dehydration, which raises your heart rate and makes it difficult to lower your body temperature, crucial for helping you get to sleep. Keep your bedroom cool.
