It has been known for a long time that regular exercise can assist to enhance both the quantity and the quality of sleep. A restful night’s sleep can improve your mood, memory, and concentration levels, as well as lower blood pressure, alleviate stress, and increase your immune system. This is in addition to other health benefits.
On the other hand, there are situations in which your regular exercise routine can be making it more difficult for you to get a decent night’s rest instead of helping you. To give you a better understanding of how your exercise routine can be affecting the quality of your sleep:
The Temperature of Your Body Is Way Too High:
When performed too close to bedtime, physical activity might make it difficult to fall asleep. Particularly, engaging in vigorous physical activity can cause your core temperature to rise, your heart rate to quicken, and your neurological system to become stimulated, all of which can have a significant impact on your ability to sleep. The temperature of your body needs to be just right for you to be able to get to sleep and remain asleep once you do.
If you want to exercise in the evening, try doing some simple stretches and low-impact exercises that will help prepare your body for sleep. If you want to exercise, consider doing it in the evening.
You Have Ate Too Much:
A substantial dinner is often chosen by those who have just finished their evening workout in order to make up for the number of calories that were burned. On the other hand, sleep specialists advise eating dinner at least three hours before going to bed for the best results. In point of fact, it is recommended that the main meal of the day be consumed during lunchtime, between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm, so that the food may be totally digested and all of the energy can be utilized.
If you eat a big meal too close to bedtime, your body will be forced to focus its energy on digestion rather than on the cleansing that it normally does while you are sleeping. This will result in disrupted sleep patterns, during which you will frequently wake up in the early hours of the morning.
It Is Important to Consider Your Adrenaline Levels:
Exercising at a high intensity can cause the body to produce much more adrenaline than normal. If you work out later in the day, your adrenaline levels are likely to remain elevated far into the evening, which will make it very difficult for you to relax and let your mind wander when it comes time for bed. Additionally, adrenaline causes an increase in attentiveness, which makes it more difficult to unwind and enter a restful state.
Too Much Caffeine:
After your workout, you might want to rethink drinking that cup of coffee or taking that caffeine-containing stimulant. Because it can take the body up to 8 hours to rid itself of these substances, it is essential to avoid consuming them after noon.
Calming herbal teas are a fantastic alternative to traditional beverages to consume after an exercise, and many of these teas also offer additional health advantages. For example, peppermint helps to ease digestion, and chamomile is a natural sleep inducer.
You Are Not Taking Enough Time to Relax:
However, despite the fact that a cool-down is a vital component of your workout, many people have a habit of skipping it for a variety of reasons. The ability to allow for a steady recovery of your heart rate is among the most significant advantages that may be gained from a cool down.
During exercise, your heart rate will increase, and your heart will pump extra blood throughout the body to supplement the muscles, which are working harder than they normally would. This is done to help the muscles keep up with the increased demand placed on them.
In addition to this, a cool-down affords an excellent chance to loosen up and relax, both of which, in turn, will facilitate better sleep. If you aren’t sure where to begin when it comes to cooling down after a session, Freeletics has launched a variety of new cool down exercises in the app, as well as features that encourage users to never skip a cooldown, regardless of how pressed for time they may be. If you have any questions about this, please contact us at [email protected]