If you have trouble falling asleep at night, playing sports will help. Practicing this exercise will help you sleep better, according to a study.
Sleep problems are the order of the day and more and more people suffer from them.
The Spanish Sleep Society (SES) points out that, in Spain, more than 4 million people suffer from some type of chronic and serious sleep disorder, and ensures that these ailments threaten the health and quality of life of up to 45% of the world’s population.
The regular practice of sports is one of the recommendations that the SES gives us to sleep better, and it is advice backed by science. But not all exercise affects the quality of sleep the same, as revealed a new investigation.
It is an analysis of data from 15 previous studies that evaluates the relationship between sport and sleep. According to your results, The best exercise you can do to get a good night’s sleep is cycling: Pedaling the bike will help you fall asleep and achieve a sound sleep, especially if you do it outdoors.
High intensity exercise (HIIT) also favors the initiation and duration of sleep, especially when practiced by sedentary people.
The problem is that this type of training contributes to a slight decrease in the REM phase. Alterations in this stage of sleep can negatively affect cognitive tasks when the information is complex and emotionally stimulating.
Nevertheless, the moment of sports practice is of vital importance. Exercising too late negatively affects your rest, so you have to plan your workouts to distance them from bedtime.
According to this study, exercise should end at least two hours before bedtime. If the training ends before this time, the person will fall asleep earlier and their sleep will last longer.
Instead, If your session ends less than two hours before you go to bed, it may take you longer to fall asleep and wake up earlier than usual.
If you want to know more, In this article we explain what is the best time to do sports and what will help you sleep better.