Could Exercise Lead to Better Sleep?

Sleep is such a basic human instinct, yet so many of us don’t get the sleep we need, and it’s turning us into a nation of coffee and energy drink-dependent zombies. With May being Better Sleep Month, we want to focus on the importance of sleep and how to get more of it. The first thing we want to look at is exercise and its link to sleep.

Does exercise lead to better sleep? The experts say yes.

The National Sleep Foundation has recently come out with a study saying a good workout during the day may be just what the doctor ordered for getting a good night’s sleep. A sample of 1,000 adults ranging in age from 23 to 60 took part in the 2013 Sleep in America poll.

According to the study, physical activity was considered activity that exceeded 10 minutes completed in the past seven days, and participants were separated into four different levels of activity:

• Vigorous: activities which require a lot of physical effort like running, cycling, swimming or competitive sports.
• Moderate: activities which require more effort than normal like weight lifting, tai chi and yoga.
• Light activity: walking.
• No activity: those who completed no activity.

The results showed that exercisers documented better sleep than non-exercisers despite sleeping the same length of time every night. Non-exercisers also reported being sleepier than exercisers, pointing to the conclusion that regular exercise means better sleep.

What can we do? Start slow and get walking if possible. Note how you’re sleeping over a one or two week time period. Try to increase your walking or add weight lifting, tai chi or yoga to your routine. Do more if you can, but more importantly, just keep it consistent.

Medical Department Store offers a number of exercise aids and equipment to help you get stronger, more flexible and improve your range of motion whatever your age. Not only will you feel better from the exercise, but the better sleep at night will help you wake up feeling refreshed instead of groggy.

We’ll be back with another blog later this month talking about the benefits of better sleep and how Medical Department Store can help you achieve it. Until then, stay safe and live healthy!