- New research shows that high-intensity exercise less than 2 hours before bedtime can have a negative impact on sleep.
- Exercising earlier in the evening leads to better sleep quality.
- But high-intensity exercise also triggers physiological changes that can delay sleepiness.
Moderate-intensity exercise is often recommended as a way to help you sleep better, with high-intensity exercise being discouraged.
However, there is much we do not know about the interplay between exercise and sleep quality.
To learn more about the link, researchers at Concordia University conducted an analysis of the data from previous studies dealing with the effect of high-intensity exercise on sleep.
The researchers found, overall, that exercise that was completed 2 or more hours before bedtime aided sleep quality. Participants fell asleep faster and slept longer.
Exercise that occurred closer to bedtime, however, had a negative impact, causing people to take longer to fall asleep and to sleep for a shorter amount of time.
Source: healthline