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Like Simon Cowell disguising a candidate for a reality show off the field, scientists sometimes know how to kick you where it hurts.
“Despite the overwhelming consensus that adequate sleep and adequate exercise are essential for the maintenance of health, these behaviors are often downgraded into the typical American lifestyle,” read a scathing article from 2017. “It shouldn’t be. So it’s no surprise that Americans who both lack sleep and don’t exercise regularly significantly increase their risk for chronic disease. “
Ouch.
Okay, so we know we should sleep and exercise more. Americans love a good deal, too: is there a two-for-one situation at stake here?
The answer is complicated, but essentially, yes. While it is understood on an intuitive level that indulging can be beneficial for sleep, there is some debate over to what extent it helps. Some studies have shown that moderate exercise before bedtime is beneficial, as opposed to vigorous high-intensity exercise (HIE).
But a recent analysis of 15 studies published in the journal Sleep medicine reviews suggests a more nuanced situation, finding HIE evening performed two to four hours before bedtime not disrupt sleep – but HIE performed an hour before bedtime.
This finding held up in healthy, young and middle-aged adults – and was especially true for more sedentary adults (the kind who sits all day at a desk job). The HIE in the early evening helped to fall asleep and improve sleep duration, and one type of exercise has been shown to be the most effective in stimulating deep sleep: cycling.
Lead author Emmanuel Frimpong and co-author Melodee Mograss point out that this study is, hopefully, an encouraging sign for people who are not sure they can train. Frimpong is a postdoctoral fellow and Mograss is an associate researcher at the Sleep, Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory based in Montreal.
“We hope that our work will allow individuals to continue to adopt healthy behaviors such as exercise and sleep, even during peak periods,” Mograss and Frimpong told me via email.
The link between exercise and sleep
The study team reviewed previously published articles that examined the relationship between sleep and exercise, looking at variables related to activity time. Overall, they found mixed and inconsistent results: because bodies, lifestyles, and sleep patterns can be so different, it’s hard to come up with a single answer.
But specific models have emerged, including:
- The difference two to four hours before bedtime and one hour before bedtime
- The observation that cycling is particularly beneficial
- An indication that the onset and duration of sleep are positively associated with exercise that lasts between 30 and 60 minutes
Mostly, these results have been found in people who have no history of sleep disturbances. If you have constant sleep issues, you may want to be more diligent in training earlier: Analysis suggests HIE may slightly decrease rapid eye movement sleep, a phase of sleep that benefits learning. , memory and mood.
Night owls are also more likely to benefit from exercise before bed than morning larks: analysis suggests that EHI performed late at night is more likely to cause sleep disturbances in early risers.
“The time or time of day to exercise is as important as the intensity of the exercise,” Mograss and Frimpong explain. “In order for exercise to benefit a night’s sleep, it shouldn’t be done too close to bedtime. Even physically fit people who exercise in the late evening sometimes report trouble sleeping.
As for cycling, the review found that cycling in the early evening promotes falling asleep and deeper sleep than has been observed with running, Mograss and Frimpong explain. They are careful to note that the exam covered lab exercise and stationary cycling – not biking or jogging on the streets.
“Compared to cycling, running can cause more physiological or psychological stress and muscle pain,” they explain. “Because cycling is a low impact exercise, it tends to cause less injury and pain. “
The benefits of good sleep
The review authors believe that exercise can be considered part of general sleep hygiene – the bedroom and daily routines that contribute to consistent, quality sleep. Other elements of sleep hygiene include:
- Shower between exercise and sleep
- Avoid eating heavy meals before bed
- Drink plenty of water before going to bed
Quality sleep, in turn, benefits mental and physical health. For example, research suggests that adding just 29 minutes of extra sleep per night can boost mindfulness. On the other hand, waking up earlier – but still sleeping the same hours – can reduce the risk of depression.
Mograss and Frimpong say there are still unanswered questions. More studies are needed to understand, for example, how regular evening exercise influences sleep in people of different ages or with certain medical conditions.
They are currently recruiting 18- to 35-year-olds for their study, which will assess participants’ memory and sleep after performing a 15-minute high-intensity exercise routine.
“The aim of this study is to assess how exercise can compensate for the deleterious effect of sleep loss on memory,” they say. “This study has ecological and real application in view of modern 24/7 society, where healthy behaviors such as sleep and exercise are often sacrificed due to work, social or other commitments. lifestyle-related. “
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