Exercise can alleviate insomnia
Why do we exercise? We might say that we do it for improving the way we look, or for improving our health, or for staying fit until we reach our 90s. Well, researches showed that in certain conditions, exercise can help us sleep better and avoid insomnia. It can also help us overcome the troubles of sleep apnea, but there’s no scientific evidence yet for this claim.How comes that insomnia is chased away by some simple body movements? It is a well-known fact that a drop in the body temperature induces the need for sleep. Exercise makes our body temperature rise, then, after several hours, the temperature tends to drop again to normal levels. This drop makes us sleepy and helps us get asleep faster. However, you must pay attention to the interval between exercising and going to sleep, because if the body temperature is high, then you will find it difficult to get to sleep (it seems that you should stop exercising 3-4 hours before bedtime).
In one example of the beneficial effect of exercise on sleep and insomnia, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine studied the effects of exercise on the sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 that were sedentary and troubled by insomnia. These adults had to exercise for 20-30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle.
The result: the time required to fall asleep was reduced by one-half and sleep time increased by almost one hour.
Exercise provides a tranquilizing effect which helps us releasing negative emotions such as anxiety and anger, thus improving our sleep.
So, here you are, up to now, two ways of getting rid of naughty insomnia:
- Learn and practice a relaxation technique
- Make sure you have regular exercise, but not too close to bedtime
There’s more to come on sleep troubles. Stay in touch! Chase insomnia.
