Colin Snow
Sleep and exercise are both essential for a healthy body and mind. While it's recommended that we get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, some people may need more, especially if they're exercising at a high intensity. Sleep is when your body repairs itself and restores its energy supply, so it's important to listen to your body and build rest and recovery into your routine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| People who exercise may need more sleep than their inactive counterparts | Especially when they exercise at a high intensity |
| Sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses | Autonomic nervous system imbalances, similar to overtraining symptoms like sore muscles and a higher risk of injuries |
| High-intensity physical activity requires longer recovery time | People who do this regularly need to compensate with quality sleep to allow their bodies to recharge |
| Exercise has a chemical effect on the brain | Physical activity creates more adenosine in the brain, and adenosine makes us feel sleepy |
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What You'll Learn
- High-intensity workouts require longer recovery time, so more sleep is needed
- Sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses that can inhibit performance
- Exercise has a chemical effect on the brain, creating more adenosine, which makes us feel sleepy
- Working out helps maintain your body's internal clock
- Sleep is a priority, but the quality and quantity of sleep also matter
High-intensity workouts require longer recovery time, so more sleep is needed
People who exercise consistently might need more sleep than their inactive counterparts, especially if they are engaging in high-intensity physical activity such as Tabata or HIIT workouts. These types of workouts require longer recovery time, and quality sleep is needed to allow the body to recharge.
Even after just one night of not sleeping, endurance performance can decrease, and you may fatigue faster on less sleep, making it feel tougher to work out to your maximum capacity. Sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses such as autonomic nervous system imbalances, which are similar to overtraining symptoms like sore muscles and a higher risk of injuries.
Exercise also has a chemical effect on the brain, as physical activity creates more adenosine in the brain, and adenosine makes us feel sleepy. The harder we work out, the more driven we are by this chemical to sleep. Working out also helps to maintain your circadian rhythm, or your body's internal clock.
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Sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses that can inhibit performance
Dr Robert Graham, M.D., M.P.H., co-founder of FRESH Med at Physiologic NYC, says that "since the role of sleep is to restore the body's energy supply, it's intuitive that the more high-intensity [the exercise], the more sleep you require". This is because sleep plays the all-important role of restoring your immune and endocrine systems. The endocrine system is responsible for creating and spreading key performance hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone throughout your body, as well as regulating brain function.
Winter, from Forever Fit Science, agrees that "sleep is always the priority, unless your sleep is almost always sound in quality and quantity". They add that "physical activity creates more adenosine in the brain, and adenosine makes us feel sleepy. The harder we work out, the more driven we are by this chemical to sleep".
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Exercise has a chemical effect on the brain, creating more adenosine, which makes us feel sleepy
While extra sleep won't necessarily make you faster or stronger, it is true that people who exercise may need more sleep than those who don't. This is especially true for those who exercise at a high intensity, as the body needs longer to recover.
Sleep plays an important role in restoring the body's energy supply, as well as the immune and endocrine systems. The endocrine system is responsible for creating and spreading key performance hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. Sleep also helps to regulate brain function and maintain your body's internal clock.
If you've been getting less than six hours of sleep most nights, it's probably best to prioritise getting some extra sleep rather than working out.
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Working out helps maintain your body's internal clock
Exercise also helps to restore the body's energy supply, so the more high-intensity the exercise, the more sleep you will require. Sleep plays the important role of restoring your immune and endocrine systems, as well as regulating brain function.
If you exercise consistently, you might need more sleep to allow your body to recharge. High-intensity physical activity requires longer recovery time, so it is important to compensate with quality sleep.
However, it is worth noting that extra sleep will not necessarily make you faster or stronger. Sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses that can inhibit performance, such as autonomic nervous system imbalances, which are similar to overtraining symptoms.
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Sleep is a priority, but the quality and quantity of sleep also matter
Dr Robert Graham, co-founder of FRESH Med at Physiologic NYC, explains that "the role of sleep is to restore the body's energy supply, it's intuitive that the more high-intensity [the exercise], the more sleep you require". Sleep is also important for restoring your immune and endocrine systems, as well as regulating brain function.
Even one night of poor sleep can affect your endurance performance, making it feel tougher to work out. While extra sleep won't necessarily make you faster or stronger, sleep loss has been linked to physiological responses that can inhibit your performance, such as autonomic nervous system imbalances, which are similar to overtraining symptoms.
Physical activity also has a chemical effect on the brain. "Physical activity creates more adenosine in the brain, and adenosine makes us feel sleepy," says Winter. "The harder we work out, the more driven we are by this chemical to sleep."
So, if you're working out regularly, make sure you're getting enough quality sleep to allow your body to recharge.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, people who exercise may need more sleep than those who don't. This is especially true if you're exercising at a high intensity.
It's recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
If you don't get enough sleep, you will fatigue faster, making it feel tougher to work out to your maximum capacity. Sleep loss has also been linked to physiological responses like autonomic nervous system imbalances, which are similar to overtraining symptoms like sore muscles and a higher risk of injuries.
It's important to decipher what kind of tiredness you're experiencing. Are you mentally exhausted from a long day? Or are you exhausted from a lack of sleep? If you're feeling fatigued, sore, injured, or burnt out, these could be signs that you need more rest and recovery.
