Physical exercise enhances both
the quality and length of sleep.
However, jogging too close
to sleep is not recommended.
Sleep and exercise are believed to be great bedfellows. A good night’s sleep may boost exercise performance, lower the chance of accidents, and keep the body and muscles healthy. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, might reduce one’s immune.
Raj Sipani, a 35-year-old entrepreneur and fitness lover from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, recounts how he experienced the advantages of a great sleep pattern after he began working out consistently.
“I have been working out for more than ten years now, and what began as a hobby has now become my passion,” Sipani explains. “I go to the gym every day — mostly in the evenings after work — not just for fitness but [also because] it reduces the day-to-day stress and tension. I normally manage to get a decent, deep sleep after my exercises since my body feels light and fresh, and the endorphins add to my cheerful condition the following day.”
How sleep, exercise relationship works
Exercise has a molecular impact by producing more adenosine in the brain, and adenosine makes us feel tired. Some recent investigations have showed that high-intensity exercise resulted in a large rise of the sleep-promoting chemical adenosine.
It is commonly established that physical exercise leads to the body feeling weary and, thus, enhances sleep. What is equally essential is that it adds to general health in a large manner. “This is because physical activity is known to improve the quality as well as duration of sleep,” says Dr Sudheer Kumar Tyagi, a neurosurgeon from Apollo Hospitals, Delhi. “It is actually a kind of a treatment for people who suffer from insomnia and helps in stopping the usage of sleeping pills, which may be detrimental in the long run.”
A June 2021 research on the effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults revealed that regular physical as well as mind–body workouts mostly enhanced subjective sleep quality rather than physiological sleep quality in adults.
Jesmin Singh, a 29-year-old copywriter from Delhi, has added yoga, dance and Pilates to her exercise regimen after her doctor’s suggestion. “I have a desk job, so I was not very active physically and was having difficulty falling asleep at nights,” she explains. “Now, I sleep better as I get exhausted post work and my physical activities.”
Don’t exercise too much or too close to night
But high-intensity exercises done too close to night may interfere with sleep patterns in most individuals – except athletes, whose bodies are adapted to a different level of activity entirely.
According to a 2019 research, exercising too close to bedtime can have unfavorable impacts on sleep quality and the time required to fall asleep. So, exercising one hour before going to bed is a major no-no.
excellent sleep and excellent health
“When we need to check whether we are healthy or not, we need to see whether we can fall asleep naturally and wake up naturally,” says Dr Pallavi Aga, nutritionist and lifestyle management consultant, Mind, Body and Wellness Clinic, Noida, Uttar Pradesh. “That really is the hallmark of good health.”
She argues that exercise improves well-being in the body, and the body develops stronger and healthier. That said, too much activity too close to sleep is not beneficial. “I always say work out in the morning so that one can get the benefit of happy hormones the whole day long,” adds Dr Aga.