How Sleep and Exercise Performance Correlate

Understanding the relationship between sleep and exercise performance can greatly impact your health. While exercise has numerous mental and physical benefits, it can also result in better sleep quality. Whether you’re suffering from insomnia or just a poor sleep schedule, working out can pave the way towards a healthier life.

Here are the questions we’ll answer:

• What is the correlation between sleep and exercise performance?
• How much exercise do I need for better sleep?
• What’s the best time to exercise?

The Relationship Between Sleep and Exercise Performance

Studies have continuously shown that there is a link between exercise and sleep. However, the exact benefits that exercise has on your sleep will depend on other factors, like age, weight, etc.

But in general, you can expect to experience the following if you exercise regularly:

• Stress reduction: Physical activity releases endorphins, which can improve your mood and overall well-being. And since a high stress level can prevent you from falling asleep, it’s important to be as relaxed as possible when getting into bed.
• Temperature regulation: When you work out, you build heat, and your body temperature increases. But when you stop, your body cools down. This drop in temperature can be a signal for your body to get ready for sleep.
• Circadian rhythm regulation: If you exercise at the same time each day, you can synchronize your circadian rhythm. This can promote a better sleep pattern since your body will be following a schedule each day.
• More sleep: One study has also shown that people who exercise at least 30 minutes a day get, on average, 15 minutes more sleep each night. Exercise can also help you fall asleep faster.
• Deeper sleep: Not only can exercise help people sleep longer, but it can also increase the amount of time you spend in deep sleep. This is absolutely necessary for our body. Deep sleep is when we repair tissues, build bones, strengthen our immune system, etc. Having a comfy mattress can also help facilitate deep sleep.

How Much Exercise Do I Need for Better Sleep?

Although it may take you several months to see the physical benefits of exercise, the same does not apply to sleep quality. That’s because people who exercise for at least 30 minutes may sleep better that same evening! Having that elevated heart rate and energy expenditure can promote tiredness and, therefore, better sleep.

However, sticking to a regular routine can improve your health in the long term. Therefore, it’s important to find something you enjoy and don’t mind doing several times a week.

Experts have agreed that people should aim to work out at least 150 minutes per week. Of course, that doesn’t need (or should be) done in one day. For most people, working out in 30-minute intervals five times a week is a good goal.

What Is the Best Time to Exercise?

This answer depends on what type of exercise you do. High-intensity workouts like running, dancing, or jumping rope increase your heart rate and endorphin production. If you do these activities at night, it can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. If you are doing aerobic exercises, make sure to do them one or two hours before bed to give yourself time to calm down.

However, many people prefer to work out at night (or perhaps this is the only time they have free). If you exercise before bed, try doing something less intense, like yoga, pilates, or stretching. These workouts have great benefits and won’t cause your heart rate to spike.

If you’re looking to start a new yoga routine, make sure you have the right clothing.

Start Your Routine

As you can see, there is a correlation between sleep and exercise performance. But at the end of the day, it’s important to listen to your body to decide what works best. Doing something is better than doing absolutely nothing. If you’re not sure where to start, then we have a step-by-step guide on creating a workout routine. You may also consider a Tabata workout to maximize your results in minimal time.