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Exercise for Sleep

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magikheart

Guest
I've been having some trouble sleeping lately. I'm not the most athletic person, and I have heard that working out or exercising right before bed can help you to sleep. The few times I have done this before bed, I feel more energized, so this seems to be a bit conflicting in theory. Has anyone ever had a regiment where you work out before bed and it helps you to sleep? Is there a sweet spot during the day that works best for this?
 

shelbyk

New member
Hi magikheart!
I have an extensive background in fitness/sports, so hopefully I can help shed a bit of insight here. Working out immediately before bed actually is going to have the opposite of your desired effect (as you already know!) because of the endorphins flowing through your body. Exercise creates an endorphin rush, which leaves you feeling energized and not in an idea position for sleep. When it comes down to it, there’s not a single “sweet spot,” per say, that’s going to help you sleep better- ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for you. Personally, my ideal time to work out is around 4/5 hours before I go to sleep- this leaves me with plenty of time to wind down, relax, and get ready for bed. I’ve also had success with exercise 2/3 hours before bed. I know of colleagues who swear by exercising first thing in the morning, because it wakes you up and gets you moving for the day, and then your evening will be much more relaxing. However, as I said, this is all about trial and error! I hope this helped you!
 

kmd06

New member
I also had trouble sleeping before. But, I was able to cope up with my sleeping problems when I develop my routine. I reduced my caffeine intake, I exercise every day, I eat healthy foods, and I don't stay up late every night. After doing those things, I get back on track.
 
I had that same problem, maybe I still do, but very rarely. First of all, you need to wake up relatively early. That way you'll sleep like a baby when the time comes. And if that doesn't help, I'd recommend a workout or an evening walk at a faster pace, that would do as well. Then you take a hot shower, that will actually decrease your energy, unlike cold showers which I recommend in the morning. Then for me, it's listening to some podcast for a five minutes or so, and I am already asleep.
 

Nick Torn

New member
I think you need just more exercising and not before sleep. If you will be tired then you will sleep better and I think it won't effect your heart, because when you exercise then you need to rest without sleeping. However, I think that you might not sleep after it because you will have more adrenalin in your body and this can be bad for you.
 

Genelle17

New member
Exercising before bed has the same effect on me! As a personal trainer, I've learned that working out right before you go to sleep really isn't ideal because your body is very revved up from the exercise you just did, and endorphins are flowing. I personally choose to workout in the AM before work, and by the end of the day I'm ready for bed. Even just a few hours before bed would be better to workout than right before!
 

Seeker Best

New member
Well working out may work for some but it does not work for me. I would rather think of other ways out. One of the major sources of the health challenges we have nowadays is our choice of food. There is a lot of intake of processed foods with preservatives in our day to day feeding. I personally have decided to go for raw and healthy food instead and it has really been effective.
 

Delia B

New member
I have found yoga helps me sleep. If I can't sleep, I do the relazation yoga or the yoga for bed time, but that's just me personally.
 

Uncle Dil

New member
I think the easiest way is to workout as hard as you can and put your phone away while working out. Otherwise, people say they are going to the gym and don't get a whole lot done and are actually not very tired when you are leaving. If you workout hard, you will be tired when it's time for bed and you will be able to sleep well.
 

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