A healthy sleep every night is very important for health, especially in these stressful times that require a permanent process of learning, attention, concentration, vigilance, and cognitive functions such as driving, control and observation, factors closely related to a good break.
In general, it is not scientifically known exactly what happens during sleep, but there are many situations in everyday life in which adequate sleep has been shown to influence, such as our daily performance at work and in studies. This is why an unrefreshing sleep can lead to significant medical and social consequences. Find out how you can improve your quality of sleep .
What can I do to sleep better?
According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation , people who include physical exercise (not necessarily intense) in their weekly routine sleep better than those who do not exercise.
1,000 American adults ages 23 to 60 participated in this survey. Based on exercises they performed for at least 10 consecutive minutes, they rated their weekly physical activity on:
- Light: low performance like walking.
- Moderate: such as weight lifting, yoga.
- Intense: high performance like running, swimming.
50% said they did light physical exercise, 25% moderate exercise, 16% intense exercise and 9% did not do any type of physical exercise.
Of the participants who do light, moderate or intense physical exercise, 56% to 67% said they got a good night’s sleep almost every night of the week. While only 39% of people who do not exercise claimed to have a similar dream during the week. In addition, those who exercise tend to have fewer problems with sleep compared to those who do not exercise.
Only 8% of people who exercised vigorously said they had difficulty falling asleep almost every night of the week, compared to 24% of those who did not exercise.
Can a sedentary lifestyle lead to insomnia?
Around 22% to 25% of those surveyed who spent less than 8 hours sitting a day said they enjoyed better sleep, compared to 12-15% of people who said they spent more time sitting.
Said Lisa Meltzer, a sleep psychologist at National Jewich Healthe that the survey results are consistent with one of the classic rules of sleep hygiene “active people sleep better.”
Contrary to popular belief, even exercising before bed improves quality of sleep. According to the survey, individuals who exercised at any time of the day slept better than those who did not.
Although both groups (those who exercise and those who do not) claimed to have the same hours of sleep (7 hours per night), the survey also showed that the quality of sleep was poorer in people who did not exercise.
Meltzer said this may be because physical exercise can cause weight loss and improve symptoms of sleep apnea , a condition often linked to obesity. People with sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods of time during the night.
However, it is important to note that the survey results still cannot prove that physical exercise actually helps people sleep better, as there are many other influencing factors such as:
- Go to bed and get up always at the same time.
- Don’t sacrifice sleep for work or other activities.
Conclution
Due to these results, the National Sleep Foundation has changed its recommendations on physical exercise and sleep to encourage physical exercise at any time of the day or night, as long as it does not alter the hours of sleep. However, people with chronic insomnia should not exercise before going to bed, as this can make their condition worse.
References
- Rachael Rettner. People who exercise get better sleep, poll finds. For livescience [Revised November 2015]
