Fitting a workout into a busy day can be a challenge, so many people find the evening hours one of the best times to squeeze in a gym session or go for a run . But will exercising at night keep you awake and mess up your sleep ? While regular physical exercise is known to support healthy sleep, intense workouts too close to bedtime can make it harder for some people to fall and stay asleep.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b1d62348-0dcf-4eac-8d63-f41770f3dafe Here’s what experts say about the link between working out at night and getting a good night’s sleep. Plus, get tips on how to time your workouts in order to give your body enough time to cool down.
The Research What the Research Says About Working Out at Night In general, research shows that regular physical activity is good for sleep. But depending on the intensity of your workout and how close to bedtime you do it, it may impact the quality of your sleep. One review out of China of 28 studies with 325 participants found that overall, regardless of intensity, exercising in the evening doesn’t negatively affect sleep in healthy young and middle-aged adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629699c2bb2-4849-41aa-b4ca-c786d4f49d23 “Finishing exercise at least one to two hours before bed generally does not harm sleep — and for many people, it actually improves it,” says Morgan Soffler, MD , a sleep medicine specialist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. Dr. Soffler was not associated with the review. However, the review found that compared with getting no exercise, doing high-intensity exercise in the evening decreased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep , which is important for forming long-term memories. Moderate-intensity exercise was found to be the type of exercise most likely to improve sleep quality. Low-intensity exercise was most likely to shorten the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. A separate multi-national study using data from 14,689 physically active people found that later exercise and higher exercise strain were linked with taking longer to fall asleep, shorter length of sleep, lower sleep quality, and other negative implications for shut-eye.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629de6e3387-b4f6-454e-b5c5-314ea0ba1eda The study authors suggested that doing strenuous exercise close to bedtime may lead to prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system, such as increased heart rate, respiration rate, and core body temperature, and therefore disrupt sleep.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629de6e3387-b4f6-454e-b5c5-314ea0ba1eda However, regardless of strain, exercise ending four or more hours before falling asleep was not linked with changes in sleep. Behavioral sleep medicine specialist Carleara Weiss, PhD, RN , an assistant professor at the University of Buffalo School of Nursing in Buffalo, New York, recommends avoiding high-intensity exercise at least four hours before bedtime. Instead, she suggests opting for light exercise — such as taking a gentle walk , stretching , and doing gentle yoga — which can help with relaxation and support sleep. But even though vigorous workouts at night are too stimulating for some people, they can be fine for others, Soffler adds. “I almost never discourage anyone from exercise,” she says.
Why It’s Complicated Why the Science Looking at the Effects of Late-Night Exercise Is Complicated Since different studies test different workouts, finish times, and groups of people, the research is mixed on how working out at night can affect sleep. One consistent finding across the research, though, is that doing vigorous or intense exercise closer to bedtime may negatively affect sleep quality.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ca1a8273-350b-42cf-9076-8cfb40e91f09 But Soffler says that what counts as vigorous isn’t the same for everyone. “If it activates your sympathetic [nervous] system such that it’s hard to wind down, I would call it vigorous,” she says. Doing heavy lifting or other high-strain efforts late in the evening are more likely to be stimulating, she adds. To figure out if your workout is vigorous for you, try using target heart-rate ranges, Dr. Weiss says. Moderate-intensity activity is about 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Vigorous physical activity is about 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762989c3705b-a6bc-4e5d-86f6-d55f722a7115 If you aren’t tracking your target heart rate, you can also use these everyday cues to figure out how hard you’re working:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762940393d10-f2f5-495f-830e-8416af2133cc Breathing Moderate intensity feels like deeper breathing that steadies after a minute; vigorous feels breathy enough that you want to slow down. Talking At moderate intensity, you can speak in full sentences; at vigorous, you get out only a few words before taking a breath. Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) This 1-10 scale measures how hard your body is working when you exercise. Moderate sits about 5 to 6; vigorous feels like 7 to 8. Body Signals Rising body heat and feeling buzzed after you stop often point to a vigorous workout.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291fc99437-03d3-4c65-865f-7dda6224b829
Who Is More at Risk Whose Sleep Might Be More Sensitive to Late-Night Exercise? Some people are more sensitive to evening workouts, says Soffler. When it comes to sleep, morning people or “early birds” may be more negatively affected by late workouts than evening-types or “night owls,” according to one study of 50 Brazilian adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762929bccf4d-9356-4ef9-8d88-178327017662 Hormones can play a role, too. During perimenopause and menopause , many people are prone to hot flashes and night sweats. One study of 188 women ages 45 to 55 found there were significantly greater odds of having a hot flash following acute increases in physical activity . But the researchers note that women shouldn’t be discouraged from doing physical movement at midlife.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a412a84d-0a3a-4647-8d8c-6f300e7dfe21 If you get night sweats, you may want to avoid working out right before bedtime. Exercise is a common trigger for that symptom.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762907e88f17-10f4-4ec1-b9a6-b43f0e721c1f Soffler suggests watching for signs that your workout is disrupting your sleep, such as taking longer than usual to drift off, waking up more often, or feeling wired despite being tired. “If it’s taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep, evaluate your evening routine and adjust timing and intensity first,” she says.
Tips Tips for Working Out at Night If you work out in the evening, you can set yourself up for healthy sleep with a few expert-recommended tweaks to your routine. 1. Avoid Vigorous Exercise 1 to 4 Hours Before Bedtime A little trial and error can help you figure out what works best for you, experts say. Some people are fine to avoid vigorous exercise within one hour of desired sleep time, says Soffler. Those who are sensitive to vigorous evening exercise should avoid heavy lifting or other high-intensity work within about four hours of bedtime, says Weiss. Doing gentle workouts like light yoga or walking should be OK, she adds. 2. Prioritize the Cooldown Leave at least one to two hours to cool down before bed, focusing on lowering your heart rate and body temperature, says Soffler. “Allowing your body to cool down is the most important factor,” she explains. Weiss recommends the following cool-down tips: Do gentle stretching or restorative yoga poses to help your body unwind. Use breathing drills such as box breathing to shift into “rest and digest” mode, which promotes relaxation and recovery. After vigorous workout sessions, take a cool shower to drop your body temperature; later in your bedtime routine, taking a warm shower can help you relax. 3. Watch Late‑Night Eating Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep, so avoid having meals or heavy snacks at least two hours before sleep, says Soffler. People with acid reflux should avoid eating at least three hours before bed (including drinking water), she says.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629de6e3387-b4f6-454e-b5c5-314ea0ba1eda If you’re waking up from hunger, Soffler suggests moving intense workouts earlier rather than adding a heavy snack late in the evening. That way, you can give your body more time to settle down before bed. 4. Turn Down the Lights Evening exercise may also occur in places such as gyms that can expose you to bright light. That, in turn, can suppress the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin , according to the above-mentioned multi-national study.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629de6e3387-b4f6-454e-b5c5-314ea0ba1eda When possible, choose dim or warm light rather than bright, cool-white light for your evening workouts. And switch your phone or laptop to night mode during or after an evening workout, Weiss suggests. The Takeaway Getting regular physical exercise is known to support healthy sleep. But doing intense workouts late in the evening can decrease sleep quality for some people, research shows. In general, it’s better to wrap up vigorous exercise sessions at least one to two hours before bed. Some people may benefit from avoiding intense exercise for at least four hours before bedtime, studies suggest. If your evening workout is negatively impacting your sleep, adjust it by moving vigorous training earlier in the day, or by reducing the intensity and extending your cool‑down routine, experts say. If you’re still having trouble falling or staying asleep, speak to your doctor to rule out any underlying causes.
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