“And patients don’t need to feel like they have to train for the Boston Marathon to become a better sleeper.” “It’s generally not going to take months or years to see a benefit,” says Gamaldo. The good news: People who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise may see a difference in sleep quality that same night. Patients often ask Gamaldo how much exercise they need for better sleep, and how many weeks, months or years it will take to experience this benefit. “Doctors definitely want you to exercise, but when you do it is not scripted.” How Much Exercise You Need for Better Sleep “Know your body and know yourself,” she says. “Whether it’s in the early morning or close to bedtime, they’ll see a benefit to their sleep,” says Gamaldo. The decline helps to facilitate sleepiness.ĭespite these biological responses to exercise, other people find that the time of day they exercise doesn’t make a difference. After about 30 to 90 minutes, the core body temperature starts to fall. Elevation in core body temperature signals the body clock that it’s time to be awake. Exercise also raises your core body temperature. “The effect of exercise in some people is like taking a hot shower that wakes you up in the morning,” says Gamaldo.These individuals should exercise at least 1 to 2 hours before going to bed, giving endorphin levels time to wash out and “the brain time to wind down,” she says. Aerobic exercise causes the body to release endorphins. These chemicals can create a level of activity in the brain that keeps some people awake.Some people may find that exercising close to bedtime seems to keep them up at night, says Gamaldo. Exercise can also help to stabilize your mood and decompress the mind, “a cognitive process that is important for naturally transitioning to sleep,” says Gamaldo.
Slow wave sleep refers to deep sleep, where the brain and body have a chance to rejuvenate. However, we do know that moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow wave sleep you get. “We may never be able to pinpoint the mechanism that explains how the two are related,” she says. Researchers don’t completely understand how physical activity improves sleep. I encourage people to listen to their bodies to see how well they sleep in response to when they work out,” she adds. “But there’s still some debate as to what time of day you should exercise. Based on available studies, “We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality,” says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital.
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