June 4th, 2020 by Amy Varley

It’s common knowledge that exercise can improve our health, both physically and mentally, so it’s no surprise that regular exercise is also good for improving the quality of our sleep. If you suffer from insomnia, doing even short bursts of regular exercise can help you to fall asleep quicker and have a better night’s sleep.

When you have trouble sleeping on a night, this can make you feel lethargic the next day, and may impair your senses - which could lead to disaster! There’s nothing worse than feeling irritable, snappy and exhausted all day, so anything that might improve your sleep is worth trying, right?!

Yoga

Yoga is a brilliant way to improve your sleep and also has lots of other health benefits! It can improve our flexibility, core strength and helps us to destress – perfect for those of us who can’t sleep because we lie awake overthinking things. Yoga helps the body to release any toxins it has stored, while the breathing exercises involved in yoga increase the circulation of oxygen in our bodies, making us feel replenished and healthy.

Doing a few yoga poses before bed can help you to create a sleep routine – you should try to do this instead of looking at your phone, which emits blue light and actually tricks your body into feeling more awake! People who practice yoga on a regular basis can fall asleep quicker and have a better quality of sleep, waking up less during the night. The mindfulness that is incorporated in yoga also helps us to sleep better, making us feel much more awake and alive during the day!

Cardio

Any activity that raises your heart rate, such as swimming, running, jogging or cycling can be a great way to improve your sleep, however, this sort of exercise shouldn’t be done too close to bedtime! Raising your heart rate causes an increase in brain activity and increases our adrenaline, which makes us feel more awake – so while we feel tired from exercise, it will actually be harder for us to fall asleep. Doing some form of cardio in the morning or early evening is best, as this gives our bodies time to recover before we go to bed to sleep!

Strength Training

 Exercises that build muscle such as bicep curls, squats, sit-ups and push-ups not only make your stronger but can help improve the quality of your sleep. Improving the strength of our muscles creates physical changes within us that help us to cope better with the stresses of life – thus meaning our bodies are able to produce a better quality of sleep. Resistance training provides many health benefits, such as helping to regulate our blood pressure and metabolic rate, which also contributes to stress reduction and a better night’s sleep.

Walking

A brisk walk can be classed as moderate aerobic exercise, and is a great way to help improve our quality of sleep, regardless of age, weight or ability, so if you are completely new to exercise, walking is a great place to start! You don’t need any expensive equipment or fancy gym gear for walking, but make sure you have a comfortable pair of shoes to avoid any foot aches and pains!

Walking is a great way of getting out and discovering new places, and the fresh air can do wonders for our mental health. Walking somewhere scenic can make your walk more pleasurable – there are many enjoyable walks listed online that can be found easily with a quick search! Incorporating a walk into your daily routine, walking the dog more often or walking to the local shops instead of driving is a simple way to ensure you do more regular and steady exercise which will improve the quality of your sleep.