From Cleveland Clinic
The older we get, the tougher it can be to sleep through the night. If that’s happening to you, it makes sense that moving more during the day can boost your sleep. But how and why? How much exercise do we need to stop tossing and turning all night?
In the short term, exercise boosts our wake drive a little bit. But in the long term, meaning over the day, exercise is going to boost our sleep drive as well, says Alicia Roth, PhD, sleep psychologist for Cleveland Clinic.
Any type of physical activity may help with insomnia, Dr. Roth says. Whether it’s cardio, strength training or simply walking your dog, consistently moving your body each day is crucial. Those in a recent study who were persistently active were 55% more likely to be normal sleepers.
Dr. Roth, who was not involved in the study, says the time of day you exercise doesn’t matter too much, but you want to avoid strenuous activity at least an hour before bed.
Although being active can increase your sleep drive, you may still struggle to get a good night’s rest because of a broader sleep issue.
Any sleep problem, unfortunately, is very multi-dimensional. There’s a lot that goes into having a sleep problem, so there’s never going to be one thing that cures your sleep issues, Dr. Roth says. It’s probably going to be a mix of things you change or a mix of new habits you develop.
Dr. Roth added it’s best to seek help from an expert if you’re consistently experiencing issues with your sleep.
