Exercise is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your sleep, and a proper rest is essential for athletic performance. Thus, sleeping and exercising are, in fact, the inseparable parts of a two-sided relation.

Still, getting the perfect amount of sleep you require to perform at your best can also depend on several factors, such as your bed routine, eating habits, use of electronic devices and even the mattress you sleep on during the night.

I’ve read several studies about the interdependence between fitness and sleeping, and I noticed most experts say that exercising too close to bedtime will, in fact, disrupt sleep because it will heat up the body.

With this in mind, the ideal time for working out is at least a few hours before going to bed.

Also, it seems that the intensity of your workout doesn’t matter that much, as the body will sleep just as it needs. But if you turn careless when it comes to sticking to your slumber schedule, you’ll end up being sleep deprived, and that leads to lack of athletic performance.

But how much rest do you need? The answer to this question depends on genetics. Let me explain:

• Due to metabolic reasons, some people demand more sleep than others. Thus, some individuals only need five hours of sleep to function at their best and juggle with various activities during the day, while others will require even nine hours of repose to deal with the same daily challenges.
• If you skip one night of sleep, the change in your performance will be almost unnoticeable. But when lack of proper sleep becomes a chronic issue, your brain and body won’t function at their best, and your efficiency will diminish.
• The more physical activity you conduct, the more rest you will need; this happens because, during exercising, our muscles and nervous system break down due to the ordinary course of undergoing body stress. To rebuild what is broken you need sleep: that’s the time when your body repairs itself, and your mind unwinds. The better the rest you get, the more excellent the recovery!

Physical activities should not be carried out too early or too late during the day. In fact, any excitement will make falling asleep way more difficult. So even if you work out in the evening, make sure that the last hour before going to bed will be spent with a relaxing activity – watching a soft movie, listening to soothing music or doing something that brings you tranquility.

If you want the best results not only the next day (and not just when it comes to exercising) and in the long run, create proper sleeping conditions:

• Turn off all electronic devices and artificial lights at least one hour before going to bed. Darkness is the ally of a sound sleep.
• Keep the bedroom clean and try not to turn it into your office or your dining room.
• Eat light, a few hours before bedtime – and not in bed!
• Track your sleep to improve it: several modern smartphone apps monitor your sleeping habits and make suggestions for betterment.
• Use the right sleeping mattress. Choose one designed to get your blood flowing and keep your body fresh during sleep. The most recommended ones are those with a three-layered memory foam core, soft enough to provide comfort and firm enough to offer decent support. Usually, their top layer hosts the cooling technology and the upper layer converts body heat into infrared which, according to try mattress, leads to better blood circulation and cell recovery during sleep.

In conclusion, let’s keep in mind that physical activity is one crucial key to our well-being, but to accomplish positive results we need to offer the body the proper rest it needs to recoup.

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HoylesFitness

Owner of www.hoylesfitness.com. Personal Trainer, Father and fitness copy writer. Working hard making the world fitter and healthier! View all posts by HoylesFitness