Exercising two hours before bedtime helps you fall asleep better. On the contrary, if we don’t let that time pass, it can negatively affect us.
Reading a book, watching TV or looking at your cell phone are some of the rituals we do before bed. But what happens if we exercise beforehand?
Researchers of the Concordia UniversityIn Canada, they analyzed data from 15 studies to see how a single session of intense healthy influences, young and middle-aged adults, hours before bed.
Time is a key factor
The variables used were the exercise time (beginning and at the end of the night) and the times between the training interval and bedtime (less than two hours, about two hours and two to four hours). Participants’ physical level, intensity and duration were also taken into account.
According to the lead author of this study, Emmanuel Frimpong, it is advisable to exercise two hours before bedtime, as it helps you to fall asleep better. Conversely, if we don’t let this time pass, it negatively affects our bedtime and the duration decreases.
For a longer period of sleep, intense gymnastics, especially cycling, in the early evening between 30 and 60 minutes is appropriate. Although this type of activity decreases in the rapid eye movement phase, better known as the REM phase.
Morning or night, but always constant
It’s important to know whether we’re more active in the morning or at night. High-intensity exercise, performed late at night, can cause sleep disturbances for those with morning habits.
Of course, we must keep a constant schedule. For healthy adults, young and middle-aged, it is advisable to do them in the evening.
There are other tricks like avoiding heavy meals, drinking a lot of water or bathing before bed that make rest easier.
In short, exercise is favorable for us to rest better. Although if we do this at certain times of the day, or just before going to bed, it can alter sleep. This is the conclusion of the meta-analysis published in the journal. Sleep Medicine Reviews.
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