It is a widely known fact that sleep is essential to life. It helps you focus and think clearly. It allows you to function in a healthy manner throughout the day. Anyone who has ever suffered from insomnia for just one night can attest to the incredible importance of sleep. If you suffer from any number of sleep disorders, daily exercise can be your ticket to a good night’s slumber. Proven to help you sleep better, exercise can play a major role in helping you become healthier physically, mentally and emotionally. Here are 5 Reasons Why Exercising Can Give You a Better Night’s Sleep.
1. Increase Heart Rate and Blood Flow
The goal of exercising to deal with sleep disorders is to increase heart rate and strengthen lung capacity. Working out for twenty to thirty minutes will get your blood moving through your body while also tiring you out and making your body ready for a good night’s sleep. However, it is important to remember that you should not exercise immediately before bed. Exercise can initially cause you to wake up and become more alert, so you want to exercise early enough in the day that your body will have time to relax and prepare for sleep.
2. Treat Sleep Apnea
Many people who snore aren’t simply dealing with issues of the throat and sinuses; they may also be living with sleep apnea. This is a serious medical condition in which people actually stop breathing at different points throughout the night. Commonly seen in people who are overweight, one of the first treatments suggested by doctors is to lose weight. Daily exercise can make a massive difference for people dealing with apnea. They can lose weight, enjoy a better night’s sleep and stop snoring.
3. Sleep Through Noises
Snoring doesn’t just affect the person who is making the noise; it can also result in a lack of sleep for their partner. However, if their partner can fall into a deep sleep quickly, then the snoring becomes less of an issue. People who found time to squeeze in a walk on their lunch break or hit the gym on the way home from work report that they fall asleep more quickly, they sleep more soundly and they don’t notice noises as much.
4. Increased Endorphins
Exercise causes your body to produce more endorphins. These in turn create a general sense of well-being and help the body’s aches and pains fade away. When you are lying down to go to sleep, you will be more relaxed and better able to get to sleep.
5. Physical Stressor
Exercise is a physical stressor, one that the body will respond to by increasing deep sleep. It is a physiological response of the brain, and it will result in your falling asleep faster and sleeping more deeply. You will find that insomnia is less of an issue for you when you take the time to exercise.
The greatest benefit of exercising to enjoy better sleep is that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym. You can take a brisk walk after an early dinner to help work off calories and prepare yourself for bed. You can ride a bike in the morning to get moving. Parents can even join their kids for a few active rounds of a video dance game to get their heart rate up and ensure that they will sleep better and will not suffer the next day from a lack of sleep.
– The Alternative Daily