If you’re looking to get a good night’s sleep, you might want to stretch before climbing into bed.
Gentle stretching can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which gets us into the “rest-and-digest” mode that’s ideal for dozing off, says Andrea Matsumura, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine based in Portland, Oregon. “It helps to release neurotransmitters like acetylcholine that really help to relax us,” she says. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals from one nerve cell to another; acetylcholine slows the heart rate and promotes sleep.
Plus, there’s a psychological component: Research has found that stretching can reduce stress, relieve anxiety, and improve your mood. “You’re telling your body, ‘I’m preparing for relaxation,’“ Matsumura explains.
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