New study challenges traditional guidelines to not exercise before bed.
A recent study published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found that taking short breaks for resistance exercises at night may improve overall sleep duration. The study concludes that incorporating three-minute exercise intervals every 30 minutes over a four-hour period can positively impact the amount of time an individual is able to stay asleep. Following this routine could have far-reaching implications for sleep quality, which affects many other areas of health.
Research has consistently shown that poor or insufficient sleep can negatively affect emotional regulation, cognit9ive function, and stress management, which can lead to compromised physical health as well. For instance, sleep deprivation is linked to an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as a heightened risk for chronic mental health issues, such as PTSD and ADHD. Lack of sleep can increase a person’s risk for developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure, which increases the chances of experiencing heart disease and stroke. Any information on how to improve sleep duration and quality can greatly improve a person’s overall well-being.
While moderate to intense physical activity has long been cited as positively contributing to quality sleep, experts often discourage intense exercise before bed, citing concerns that it might increase body temperature and heart rate, keeping individuals awake. This means that it’s probably not the best idea to go for a run or a long bike ride right before lying down at night.
However, the new study aimed to investigate whether short, light-intensity activity breaks might have a different effect on sleep. The study involved 28 non-smoking participants, ages 18 to 40, who reported they typically had more than five hours of sedentary time during the day and at least two hours of being sedentary in the evening. For one week, these participants wore activity trackers continuously on their non-dominant wrists to record their activity and sleep patterns. They were also required to record any periods when they did not wear the trackers, along with bedtime and wake time.
Participants then spent two, four-hour sessions in a controlled environment, starting around 17:00-17:30 hours, spaced at least six days apart. In one session, they stayed seated for the entire duration. In the other session, they performed three minutes of resistance exercises every 30 minutes, including chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight leg hip extensions.
Findings revealed noteworthy differences in sleep duration between the two sessions. On average, participants who took activity breaks slept an additional 27 minutes compared to when they remained seated. Specifically, the average sleep duration following the activity breaks was 7 hours and 12 minutes, compared to 6 hours and 45 minutes after two hours of sitting. Participants who engaged in activity breaks also woke up later, averaging a wake time of 8:06 A.M. compared to 7:35 A.M. after the sitting session. The team also noted that sleep quality was not impacted by engaging in physical activity prior to going to bed.
The results challenge the notion that evening exercise will disrupt sleep. Instead, the team suggests that short, light-intensity resistance exercise breaks in the evening may extend sleep duration rather than shorten it. If sleep can be extended, this can positively impact both mental and physical health in the long run.
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New Study Shows Light Exercise Before Bed Results in 30 Minutes Longer Sleep
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