The Link Between Sleep Habits and Exercise

The Link Between Sleep Habits and Exercise

In previous articles, we have talked about the importance of staying hydrated and why your diet matters when you embark on a fitness programme. Now let’s talk about another important factor in your overall health; the quality and amount of sleep you get.

A sleep health survey conducted in 2016 found that between 33% and 45% of Australian adults regularly achieved inadequate sleep, in either quality or duration. The consequences of these poor sleep habits included reduced productivity, being too tired to participate in social activities, and being irritable or moody.

Sleep is often overlooked but a regular exercise programme can improve the quality and duration of your sleep, while not sleeping well can undermine any progress you make towards your health and fitness goals. Your body uses the time spent sleeping to recover and restore energy reserves, so maximising your sleep will help you achieve your fitness goals faster. Good quality sleep is essential to the production of growth hormone which our body uses to build lean muscle and repair damage inflicted during exercise.

When you exercise, your body temperature increases by several degrees. When your body temperature gradually falls back into its normal range, this can make you feel drowsy and help you fall asleep more readily. If falling asleep is difficult for you, exercising in the morning or afternoon may help. However, aerobic activity later in the evening will release endorphins which may make it harder for you to fall asleep. If you prefer to exercise in the evening, stick to more gentle types of exercise such as yoga.

The type of exercise you do can also make a difference. If you are a light sleeper and wake up easily during the night, moderate aerobic exercise will help you sleep more deeply, giving your brain and body a chance to rejuvenate more effectively.

Regular exercise, particularly in the morning or afternoon, can also positively impact your sleep quality by raising your body temperature a few degrees. Later in the day, when your internal thermostat drops back to its normal range, this can trigger feelings of drowsiness and help you drop off to sleep.

The great news is that you should see an improvement in the quality and duration of your sleep quite soon after starting an exercise regime. Just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as a brisk walk on a home treadmill, should be enough to trigger a difference in sleep quality that very same night.

At BeFit Hire we genuinely care about your health and fitness. Every single piece of BeFit Hire equipment is tested, cleaned and disinfected prior to delivery. We also have contactless delivery available if you are in voluntary or medically directed self-isolation or quarantine.

BeFit Hire has been hiring out home exercise equipment for more than 50 years. As a family business we pride ourselves on offering only the highest standard of service to every customer. We offer free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods, and our expert agents are ready to advise the best type of home fitness equipment to help you achieve your individual fitness goals. Please get in touch today.

2016 Sleep Health Survey of Australian Adults by Robert Adams, Sarah Appleton, Anne Taylor, Doug McEvoy, and Nick Antic, The University of Adelaide, The Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health – Read Article (PDF) 

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