It was previously thought that for most people exercising right before bedtime was a hindrance to better sleep. A recent study found that wasn't really the case; a reported 83% of respondents said they sleep better after they exercise, even if it is immediately before going to sleep. In the same survey people who say they exercise moderately to vigorously slept better on workout days than days than when they didn't work out. Generally speaking it can be said that exercise regardless of when it is done allows people to sleep better.
So to summarize the findings exercise-induced insomnia may be a bit overstated than previously thought. But there are a few people who do have issues with trying to sleep after working out. Plus there may be some gray area in this whole issue which we will cover shortly. If you are avoiding exercise at night because of what you've heard, it might be of some benefit to see how exercise affects you. You might find that you have been avoiding late evening workouts without just cause.
However, if you are one of the few who are severely affected here are some tips to help you gear down so you can sleep better. Getting enough sleep is easily as important as getting enough exercise, and it is quite possible that more people have health issues due to insomnia then you to lack of exercise. So getting proper sleep is a high priority.
1. Try not to over-exercise. Too much exercise can activate the stress response and elevates stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. The stress hormones help you perform daily physical activities by increasing blood flow to the muscles due to increased heart rate. Cortisol typically peaks shortly after waking up and then declines during the day, and reaches its minimum right before you go to sleep. But an intense workout session can kick the cortisol levels back up again.
If you must exercise before bedtime, a less strenuous workouts regimen may be better. This would include Pilates or yoga, and might mean that HIIT should be left for another time of the day.
2. Be careful with what you drink when you exercise. Many people drink coffee to enhance their workouts gains, but caffeine in the late afternoon or evening can be a real problem for sleep. Also, you must drink plenty of water as becoming dehydrated during your workout can lead to sleep issues.
3. Take a hot shower or bath. Bringing the body temperature up just before bed with a sauna, shower or hot bath can facilitate sleep. When the body temperature suddenly drops when getting out of the sauna it will help the body shut down, getting you past the stress that your exercise routine just put you through.
4. The type of exercise could be a factor. Sometimes it's not just the exercise, but what goes along with that exercise. Personally, I have never had too much trouble exercising before bedtime, but when I used to play indoor soccer some of our games were late in the evening. At these times I had difficulty sleeping for about two hours after the games, but that probably had more to do with the intensity of the competition than the actual physical work out.
When going on a http://muscle4weightloss.com/ program, alleviating stress can be a big help. Weight training, cardio workouts and many other forms of physical training can be accomplished better with a professional trainer. Rich Carroll is a writer and health enthusiast living in Chicago.
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