One of the common recommendations to deal with insomnia is
to exercise throughout the day. However, it is also known that intense exercise
right before bed can also change our sleep. What is the perfect balance ? healthnutritionhints
A new meta-analysis published in the periodical Sleep
Medicine Reviews examines data from 15 articles examining the effects of a
single session of intense exercise before bed in healthy young and middle-aged
adults .
And while no two bodies are exactly alike, researchers have
found that a combination of factors can interact to amplify or modulate the
effects of exercise on sleep. "When we looked at the literature on this
work, we found that there were many mixed results," says Melody Mograss,
cognitive neuropsychologist and researcher at PERFORM Sleep Lab. "Some
depended on the timing of exercise, others on the fitness level of the study
participants or even the kind of exercise . " techgeeksblogger
Timing is (almost) everything
The researchers combined data from 15 studies and performed
statistical analyzes that looked at variables such as time spent exercising
(early afternoon or late at night) and time between stopping exercise and going
to bed (less than two hours, about two hours, and two hours). to four hours). hours).
Additional variables included participants' fitness level
(sedentary or physically active), intensity threshold, and duration of
exercise. They also looked at how certain types of exercise affect sleep .
"Overall, our analysis showed that when exercise is
terminated two hours before bedtime, sleep benefits, including promoting sleep
onset and increasing sleep duration," explains study lead author
Emmanuelle Frimpong. “On the other hand, after the exercise ended fewer than
two hours before bedtime, the sleep worsened. Participants took lengthier to
fall asleep and the duration of sleep decreased. " techiescity
A more detailed analysis yielded the following results:
High intensity exercise performed in the middle of the day
promoted the onset of sleep and increased sleep duration, especially when
performed by seated people.
Bicycle exercise was found to benefit the participants the
most in terms of initiation and deep sleep.
However, high-intensity exercise, regardless of time, was
associated with a slight decrease in rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep, the
stage of sleep commonly associated with sleep experiences. Research shows that
reducing REM sleep can negatively affect cognitive tasks if the information is
complex and passionately stimulating, but not if the information is light or
neutral.
Various effects for early risers and night owls. healthbeautystudio
"In our review, healthy young and middle-aged adults
with no history of sleep disorders should exercise as soon as possible in the
middle of the day," concludes Frimpong.
“People also need to maintain a consistent exercise
schedule, as exercising at different times in the afternoon can lead to sleep
disturbances. People should also consider whether they get up early or are
owls. High intensity bodybuilding done late at night can cause sleep
disturbances in people in the morning. "
"Lastly, you should also follow sleep hygiene
strategies, such as showering between exercise and bedtime, and avoiding heavy lunchtimes
or drinking large quantities of water before bed." hollyhealthfitness
