How Does Exercise Affect Sleep?
Over the years, a lot of research has been done on the connection between exercise and sleep. According to earlier research, regular exercise can help you get enough rest and can even aid with sleep-related issues. Insufficient or poor-quality sleep may also result in less physical activity the next day, according to recent studies.
Today’s specialists concur that there is a reciprocal link between sleep and exercise because of these factors. To put it another way, making the most of your exercise regimen may help you sleep better, while having enough rest may encourage higher levels of physical activity during the day.
Less study has been done on the effect sleep plays in our levels of physical activity, and much of it has concentrated on the variations in physical activity between those with sleep problems and healthy people.
Less sleep is not so good
The majority of this research has found that those with healthy sleep cycles are more active than those who have bad sleep. Particularly, those who have certain sleep issues are less inclined to work out throughout the day. Adults who have insomnia are typically less active than those who don’t. The same is true for those who suffer from OSA and other sleep breathing disorders, albeit in this demographic, being overweight may also be a contributing factor.
According to certain research, nightly variations in sleep latency, efficiency, and quality can be used to forecast physical activity levels. For instance, one study discovered that a 30-minute delay in the start of sleep was linked to a one-minute reduction in exercise time the following day.
Performance throughout the day
The preference for morning or evening activities by a person may also be important. As opposed to individuals who sleep in or are more active in the evening, early risers or “morning people” are more likely to participate in physical exercise. In fact, several studies have found that exercise may really change someone’s preference for the day or even their circadian rhythms over time.
Although several studies to far have demonstrated a link between regular, high-quality sleep and a healthy level of physical activity, the link between improved sleep and more physical activity has not been definitively demonstrated.
What research has to say
One series of studies found that, even while continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) therapy, the first-line treatment for OSA, reduced OSA symptoms and improved sleep, it had no discernible impact on a person’s level of physical activity after one to six months of treatment. Another research looked at the impact of CPAP treatment together with altered eating practises. The individuals had effectively changed their eating habits by the time the trial was through, but they had not significantly changed how much they were moving about.
In short
The lesson here is that while getting a good night’s sleep might make you feel relaxed and more inspired to exercise the next day, it may not be sufficient on its own to cause you to modify how and how often you exercise.
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