Benefits of Physical Activity on Sleep
Everyone looks forward to that time, or multiple times, of the day where they can relax, unwind, and most importantly - rest. Lets be honest, who doesn't like sleep? During sleep our bodies reset; going through several processes simultaneously to restore bodily functions necessary for physiological and psychological demands to be met. Sleep also plays a role in memory, learning, mood, and other essential aspects of life.
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You may be contemplating: how do you get more out of your sleep? Research has proven physical activity to be highly beneficial to several metrics of sleep.
In the examination of how exercise affects sleep metrics, a meta-analytic study concluded that both acute and regular exercise have a positive impact on various sleep metrics. The benefits seen included improvements in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, wake time after sleep, and sleep quality (Kredlow, Capozzoli, Hearon, Calkins, & Otto, 2015). It is also important to note that these improvement where immediately noticeable. The evidence found supports the consensus that physical activity can be used as an intervention to improve sleep in healthy individuals. With continued research into the effects of physical activity on sleep, medical professionals wish to use this information as means to treat individuals with conditions such as insomnia.
Kredlow, M. A., Capozzoli, M. C., Hearon, B. A., Calkins, A. W., & Otto, M. W. (2015). The effects of physical activity on sleep: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine,38(3), 427-449.