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For years, the common wisdom has advised against exercising before bed due to concerns that it might interfere with the body’s ability to wind down for sleep. However, recent research challenges this notion, suggesting that incorporating short bursts of resistance exercise into evening routines can actually enhance sleep duration.
A study led by a team of researchers has found that breaking up a sedentary evening of television watching with brief periods of exercise can lead to longer sleep. The findings reveal that adults who integrated these mini-bursts of exercise into their evenings experienced nearly 30 minutes more sleep compared to nights when they remained inactive.
The Sleep Connection
Sleep is a crucial component of overall health, with adults typically spending about a third of their day sleeping. The quality and length of sleep have significant implications for long-term health, as insufficient or frequently interrupted sleep is linked to increased risks of heart disease and diabetes.
While daytime physical activity is known to improve sleep quality, the prevailing guidelines caution against intense evening exercise due to its potential to raise heart rate and core temperature, which can disrupt sleep.
Evening Habits and Health
Evenings often involve extended periods of inactivity, especially as people relax after a long day, often consuming their largest meal during this time. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels due to lower insulin activity in the evening, which, over time, can negatively impact health.
Previous research by the same team demonstrated that interrupting evening sitting with short resistance exercises every 30 minutes can reduce post-meal blood sugar levels. However, concerns remained about the impact of such evening exercises on sleep.
The Study
In the latest study, 30 adults participated in two laboratory-based sessions. In one session, they sat continuously for four hours while watching streaming services. In the other session, they performed three minutes of body-weight resistance exercises—such as squats, calf raises, and hip extensions—every 30 minutes. Participants then returned to their normal routines, and their sleep was monitored using wrist devices.
The results showed no difference in sleep quality (measured by nighttime awakenings and their duration) between the two sessions. However, participants who engaged in the exercise breaks slept almost 30 minutes longer than on the nights they remained sedentary.
Reconsidering Sleep Guidelines
These findings suggest that the current sleep guidelines, which discourage evening exercise, may need to be revisited. The study’s controlled environment provides a basis for future research to explore the effects of evening activity breaks in real-world settings.
The simple, body-weight exercises used in the study—chosen for their practicality and minimal disruption—indicate that other types of light activity, like marching in place, stair climbing, or dancing, could also be beneficial. The key is to regularly interrupt evening inactivity with whole-body movement.
Health Benefits
Incorporating regular activity breaks in the evening could improve health by enhancing sleep and managing blood sugar levels after meals. Ultimately, the most important takeaway is the value of frequent movement, tailored to fit individual lifestyles, to promote better sleep and overall well-being.
