The Exercise and Sleep Connection

For those who have a very hard time going to sleep, try establishing a nightly ritual. Nature's ritual has our light diminishing slowly, insects begin singing to calm us, the daily noises begin fading, calming down our bodies for rest. We have to imitate this to get our bodies in sync with the nightly rhythm. Turn off the tv about 8:00 and lower your lights. Listen to some very slow,mellow sounds, music or some nature sounds with flutes. Let your body start winding down. Take a relaxing bath or shower. Try to have only the amount of light that you can safely get around with. Drink a small glass of water. Spray the bed with a relaxing scent. Get into bed, leaving music on, & begin relaxing your muscles, starting with the scalp, then downward to the face (the face has a lot of different muscles - see how many you can find), the neck (back & front) - you get the idea, the shoulders, the spine, the abdomen, the pelvic floor, the buttocks, the thighs, the knees, the calves, the ankles, the toes. By the time you get done, you will usually be nodding off. Hope this helps. It worked wonders for me!

The more i exercise and lose the weight i sleep less at night and even if i try sleeping in the day to make up it does not work i will not sleep.

Working out makes me UNABLE to sleep properly. I do cardio first thing in the morning, then lift weights post work. I ALWAYS have to take a half a sleeping pill on the heavy weight days. Your body continues to burn fat after your work out...which takes energy. If your metabolism is amped up post workout, it's not just going to stop because you decide it's time to go to bed.

I agree with this article. Whenever I have an intense workout during the day, I sleep very well at night. But everyone is different.

I belive it all, i do not get enough sleep and i want it so bad, my brain doesnt shut down,i have to take sleep meds, and i hate it. i didnt have this problem until i hit 50. but i have noticed that when i do walk for about half an hour i get better sleep, i have become over weight by 50 pounds and it makes it hard for me to walk where i want to and for as lone as i want to. i am looking into rideing a bike. that should work also. thanks for listening.

I'm with blackjesus...hard exercise can lead to difficulty in sleeping. After an hour cardio, I'm wired for hours. If I do it early in the day, I tend to sleep pretty well. You have to give your body time to wind down.
The main problem with a lot of these Yahoo articles is that they let anybody write articles that should be left to professionals in that field. Some of the points in this article are valid, but just common sense. When are these people going to write something that is relevant and fresh.

I've been working out regularly for the first time in my life-at least 5 times a week. I find I am more exhausted now than I ever have been and it is virtually impossible for me to stay up late anymore because I am so tired from exercising...is this normal?

I agree with Black Jesus, a day of intense exercise makes it harder to fall asleep even though I'm exhausted. I have to take Ambien to sleep no matter what, and even then I spend about 30 min. to an hour reading while it kicks in. And yeah, I get plenty of sleep and exercise, but I can't lose weight either.

I work out regularly and I still don't get enough sleep. It is hard for me to go to sleep and stay asleep. I am still waiting for the supposed benefits to kick in.

This article is not true!

I workout 40min+ a day and I get 8- 9 hrs of sleep a day during the week. I don't loose weight either. After my workouts and a cold shower it is easy to crash at night, but I still wake up at midnight just because.

It's annoying.

#5 is going to kill me for sure.

@ mika, whySPAM?

@black jesus, maybe it's not true for YOU! we are all different even though we are all the same.

I'm a 60 yr old viet nam vetean,sleep has been a serious issue since returning home.I've been thru so many sleep classes & studies both Gov, (VA)& civilian Dr's.exercise is not the answer for me.I will die from lack of sleep caused by all the ailments it causes.2-4 hrs a nite with a hard 12 hr work day.I see it & feel it happening.The cause is PTSD from combat. The cure is not available.

Mika Fulton- please stop selling your shoe inserts here.

You do not need more sleep than normal when you workout hard, it's not true. Also, hard exercise elevates hormones, which can lead to sleeping problems. It's not a ticket to a good sleep.

Great article. It really is amazing how many positive effects exercising can have on overall health and well being including sleeping better. The human body was designed to be active. Unfortunately with an increasingly automated society we now have to ensure that we get enough of the exercise our bodies are designed to have so they can operate correctly.

I have NO problem with sleep, I think I'm part cat. I can sleep great at night, AND take naps.

I have found this to be so true for myself...but it doesnt matter how much I workout, if I eat dinner too late in the evening, or consume caffeine later in the day, or am stressed about something, it affects my sleep. But workouts definitley relieve most of the anxiety related to me waking at 3 am.

I work out 3x a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time using a recumbent bike, treadmill and exercise ball plus floor exercises. I feel wonderful and sleep like a baby. I wish I had discovered this years ago but I was just too busy, or so I thought, to take the time. Life is fun when you are healthy.

stop trying to get me to win free coffee.