Study: Evening Exercise Aids Sleep

Short bursts of exercise in the evening can help you sleep nearly 30 minutes longer, according to a study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine on Tuesday.

Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand monitored 28 participants who engaged in three-minute bodyweight exercise sessions every 30 minutes over a four-hour period, starting around 5 p.m.

The participants also underwent a control condition where they sat for the evening without performing any exercises.

The researchers then compared the sleep quality and quantity between the two scenarios.

The results showed that when participants exercised, they slept an additional 27.7 minutes, and their overall sleep period increased by 29.3 minutes compared to the sedentary condition.

However, sleep efficiency, the number of awakenings, and waking after sleep onset were not significantly affected by the exercise interventions.

Contrary to the common belief that exercising before bed can negatively impact sleep, the study found that these short exercise sessions did not harm sleep quality when performed every 30 minutes over four hours in the evening.

“These findings contribute to the growing evidence that evening exercise does not disrupt sleep quality, despite current recommendations suggesting otherwise,” the researchers stated in their discussion.

“Adults tend to be most sedentary and consume nearly half of their daily calorie intake in the evening, a time when insulin sensitivity is also reduced,” they added.

Source: newsnationnow

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