Try These Exercises for Better Sleep

Exercise and sleep have what experts call a bidirectional relationship, a term which describes the mutual connectivity between the two; while regular exercising helps improve sleep, regular, good quality sleep motivates you to exercise more. While that is undeniably beneficial, there is evidence to prove that some forms of exercise are better at promoting better quality sleep than others.

Moderate intensity cardio exercise like brisk walking or running on a treadmill causes your heart rate to increase and your breathing to become more rapid. As that happens, your body temperature also starts to increase. Once you finish your workout your body naturally begins to cool down, and it’s this element that experts believe is crucial to helping you fall asleep faster and encourage a deeper sleep. That’s because as your body temperature drops the pineal gland begins to secrete rising amounts of the sleep hormone melatonin, which is critical for high quality sleep and helps with proper sleep regulation.

Stress is one of the leading causes of sleep issues such as insomnia. Although the effect on your mental health is not to be underestimated, its impact on your physical health is also important to note. And while addressing the mental load stress can add is often a first course of action, tackling the physical aspect can often be just as valuable.

Yoga is often touted as a great pre-bed workout, thanks in no small part to the breathwork involved that helps move the body from the heightened stress state of the sympathetic nervous system into the calmer state of the parasympathetic nervous system. That said, the impact of the stretching and twisting of muscles that’s also involved can have great benefits as a physical stress reliever, which can also play an important part in helping the body find a more balanced equilibrium, which can then lay the foundations for an improved night’s sleep.