Struggling to get a good night's sleep? Working out before bed might be the answer. Exercising right before it's time to hit the hay may help improve your quality of sleep, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.
Interested in learning more? The Good Patch has your back! Read on as we explore all there is to know about working out before bed for better sleep.
What Are the Benefits of Working Out Before Bed?
Before changing your bedtime routine to incorporate a late-night sweat sesh, you probably want to know how exercising before bed can be beneficial, right? We thought so.
Although there are many, here are some of the best benefits of exercise before bed:
1. Improved Sleep Quality
Working out before going to bed helps you fall asleep faster and have longer periods of deep sleep, as well as fewer awakenings during the night. Even moderate-intensity workouts increase your core body temperature and heart rate, releasing endorphins that can help reduce stress levels and make it easier to fall asleep.
2. Increased Energy Levels
Exercise also helps increase energy during the day by boosting your metabolic rate, which can help you stay more awake during the day and get more done. Research shows that regular exercise can also help regulate circadian rhythms, which affects how alert or sleepy we feel throughout the day.
3. Improved Focus
A nighttime exercise routine can also improve concentration levels throughout the day because it helps clear our minds of worry, allowing us to focus on tasks more easily when it's time for work or study. Regular exercise increases oxygen flow to the brain, resulting in improved focus and productivity.
4. Stress Relief
Exercise releases endorphins that create a sense of relaxation and euphoria, helping us cope with stress better than if we didn't exercise at all. The release of these hormones also helps reduce cortisol levels, which is linked to increased feelings of worry and tension if left unchecked for too long.
5. Increased Metabolism Boosting Benefits
Our metabolism naturally slows down as we age, but exercising before bedtime can help increase metabolism rates, so our bodies continue burning fat even when sleeping. This means you can rest knowing you're still burning calories while getting much-needed rest!
6. Better Physical Performance
Working out before bed helps boost athletic performance by improving muscle power, speed, strength, and endurance. How?
Sometimes those morning workouts means sacrificing some sleep. Working out at night means starting the workout backed by the energy of the day, and exhausting your body well before bed. Just remember not to over-exert yourself and give yourself plenty of time to wind down for bed.
7. Balanced Hormone Levels
Another great benefit of exercising at night is that it helps balance hormone levels since cortisol spikes often occur late at night. It's important for optimal health that hormone levels remain balanced so that our bodies don't suffer from any negative effects related to high cortisol production.
Pro Tip: Need some help getting your stress in check? Decompress and unwind with our Be Calm Patch — plant-powered wellness patches for when the struggle is real.
What Workout Should I Do Before Bed?
When selecting a pre-bed workout routine, it's important to choose types of exercise that are low-impact and calming to maximize relaxation benefits while minimizing stimulation effects. When considering the best exercises for early evening, it’s best not to jump into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) right before hitting the hay.
This type of vigorous exercise may not bring the same sleep benefits. Evening workouts that incorporate yoga or stretching are ideal because they release tension while simultaneously calming both your body and mind.
Other options include light aerobic exercise like walking or light jogging on a treadmill or taking an evening swim — these low-intensity cardio workouts allow your body temperature to slowly drop back down, which helps induce relaxation in preparation for restful sleep.
Any Other Tips to Promote Quality Sleep?
As a matter of fact, we have quite a few! Although there are many, here are some of our favorite tips to help promote a good night's snooze:
1. Establish a Bedtime Routine
Having a consistent time for going to sleep and waking up can help your body adjust more easily to its circadian rhythms, giving you a better chance at getting quality sleep.
Make sure you set aside time before bed that is free from stress and distractions so that your body has time to relax and prepare for rest rather than diving into poor sleep filled with anxious thoughts.
2. Make Sure Your Bedroom Is Comfortable
Your bedroom should be dark, cool, and quiet — all three are important factors in creating an environment conducive to sleep. Consider investing in blackout curtains or shades if needed, as well as using earplugs or noise machines if your environment is too noisy for proper rest.
You may also want to adjust the temperature for optimum comfort — typically, about 65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for sleeping comfortably. All of this is considered good sleep hygiene.
3. Try a Sleep Patch
To help summon the Sandman, try using a sleep patch like our Nite Nite Patch or Dream Patch. These delightfully snoozy patches are infused with plant-powered ingredients like melatonin and valerian root to bring on the sleepies. Simply open, peel, and stick. Yup, it's that easy.
Pro Tip: Put the pep back in your step after a restful slumber with our B12 Awake Patch— perfect for that early morning, mid-afternoon slump, or a long day of travel.
Conclusion
So is nighttime the best time of day to work out? Overall, establishing a regular workout regime at any time of day has numerous benefits for your healthy lifestyle goals — including less stress, better motor skills, and improved overall health — but it turns out there is an additional benefit from working out just before hitting the sheets!
So why not make it part of your nightly schedule? For an extra boost of sleep support, we recommend our Nite Nite and Dream patches, infused with plant-powered ingredients to help you catch quality ZZZs. What’s not to love?
Sources:
Exercise and Insomnia: Can Physical Activity Combat Insomnia? | Sleep Foundation
Circadian Rhythms, Exercise, and Cardiovascular Health | PMC
How Does Exercise Affect the Brain? | The Dana Foundation
Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress | Mayo Clinic
Does metabolism slow down for women as they age? | Providence