Exercise for Good Sleep

Sleep should come naturally after the clock strikes a specific time at night. But sometimes, our routines get upended. Things like anxiety or the onslaught of tasks keep you tossing and turning instead of enjoying a good night’s slumber. But, if you are someone who has trouble sleeping, exercising can help you out. And physical activity is excellent for your mind and body. So today, we bring you all the exercises for good sleep. Read ahead! 

Simple Bodyweight Exercises 

One of the reasons simple bodyweight exercises can be good for sleep is that when you work out, your body temperature rises, and post-exercise, the temperature cools down, which helps you sleep well. So, exercising an hour before you hit the sheets is important. 

• One of the exercises for good sleep is a few sit-ups or crunches.
• Be slow and do only a few sit-ups or crunches, nothing more than 20. 
• Ensure that your heart rate remains constant.
• Once you are done, just relax and get ready for bed.

Breathing exercises 

Breathing exercises for good sleep can be great because they are easy and produce more melatonin, the sleep hormone. 

• For this, lie down or sit straight. 
• Take a deep and slow breath right from your diaphragm. 
• Inhale for 3 counts and hold it for 2, then slowly exhale it till the count of 4.
• During the breathing exercises, make sure you stay away from your electronics. 
• You can also play light music if it helps. 

Aerobic Exercise 

Aerobic or cardio exercise leads to faster breathing, heartbeats and release of endorphins, which might keep you awake. Some studies show that exercising can help improve your sleep quality. It can also decrease your daytime sleepiness and ensure you have a productive day ahead. However, if you love doing aerobics, you can schedule them in the mornings, as right before bed can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. Also, doing high-intensity workouts before sleep may not work.

Some of the aerobic activities you can include in your exercise routine includes;

• Zumba 
• Cardio activities like jogging or running 
• Dancing 

Yoga 

If you are wondering, can exercise make you sleep better? The answer is yes. You can try yoga postures, an almost effortless exercise for good sleep. You don’t have to practice any difficult positions. But just a few minutes of yoga stretches can help you sleep better. One exercise you can try is the Shavasana.

• Lie on your back in a comfortable position.
• Ensure you lay on the back with your arms and legs slightly open. 
• Make yourself comfortable. 
• Take slow and deep breaths.
• Stay in this position for 5-15 minutes.

Visualisation exercises 

One of the best exercises for good sleep at night is to do visualisation exercises. It may not come to you immediately, but it is worth it. Visualisation is imagining scenarios or performing an exercise in your head. This is because, we don’t often realise that we tend to be in an ongoing conversation with ourselves. So, how you can do this is;

• Lay down in a comfortable position. 
• Ensure the lights are turned off and your eyes are closed.
• Now, imagine a scenario that makes you happy or calm and just keep visualising it.
• If the whole act of creating images in your mind seems too much, you can simply count from 100-0.

Meditation Stretches 

Do you want to know which exercise is best before bed? Meditation is the answer. It helps decrease anxiety and ruminative thoughts, reduce emotional reactivity, and increase impartial salient experiences, which altogether facilitates better sleep. 

• For this, keep your electronics away and dim or turn off the lights. 
• You can either sit up straight or lay down. 
• Now just breathe in and breathe out. 
• You can also use essential oils here that are known to aid sleep, such as lavender. 

So, these were some of the exercises for good sleep. 

How Exercise May Help You Sleep 

As per research, it is seen that exercise can be excellent for reducing stress levels and improving sleep. Here, a diverse group of people were observed, and it was found that physical activity could lead to a good night’s rest. In fact, exercises before sleep can also be good for people suffering from conditions such as depression or sleep disturbances. So, are heavy exercises good for sound sleep? If you are exercising before bed, it is always best to keep it moderate. Otherwise, you will end up feeling energetic, as exercises release endorphins. 

Additional Exercise Tips for Getting Better Sleep

Some other tips that you can explore for a good night’s rest include; 

• Experiment with timing and intensity: Check what time works well for you. For some, going to bed earlier than usual can help as it gives you time to prepare for sleep. 
• Make sure you stay away from electronics at least an hour before bedtime.
• Ensure you stay away from caffeine post afternoon as it can interfere with your sleep. 
• Reduce any daytime naps. 

If you toss and turn throughout the night more than you sleep, try the above-mentioned exercises as they will help you achieve good sleep.