Want Better Sleep? Get physical!
Do you find it hard to get a good night's sleep? And do you always wake up feeling more tired than before you went to bed? If so, you might blame your mattress or bed. But, what you might not realise is a lack of exercise could be the cause of your sleepless nights!
We've all had nights where you haven't slept much. We then wake up in the morning, feeling pretty lousy and perhaps grumpy too. Does that sound like a regular occurrence for you? If so, you ought to consider getting physical if you want a better night's sleep. Here's why:
Exercise tells our brains that we need sleep
The human body is an incredible piece of engineering. Our brains are the central control unit of our bodies, but even they need some rest time too. So, what happens if our bodies don't tell our brains to take a break?
Well, they can end up working "overtime" and keep you awake for longer. The thing about physical exercise is that it exerts stress on your body. When that happens, your body tells your brain it needs some time to recover. Going to sleep is the natural way for that process to happen. The more exercise you do, the deeper your sleep.
Better regulation of body temperature
Another benefit of exercise is that there is better body temperature regulation. Exercising each day will help our bodies to have equal amounts of low and high temperatures. It's in the lower ranges that we all sleep best.
Of course, if the temperature around you is too cold or hot, that can affect how you sleep too. So, assuming your room temperature is "normal" you'll have a good night's sleep.
How much exercise do you need?
Here's the thing: there is much debate on how much exercise one should have for better sleep. Most people agree that you don't need to spend hours each night down the gym.
Even something as simple as taking your dog for a walk twice a day can help. There are plenty of exercise techniques you can try out to improve your sleep. The best bit is that most of them are free!
For example, going for a walk is one popular way to exercise. Some folks like to do some jogging in their local park. Others may prefer to do a few miles of cycling. The latter is a popular option if you live in a scenic location.
But, what happens if you want to exercise but the weather isn't looking too favourable? Well, there are plenty of ways to exercise indoors too! One option is to do some yoga in an open space like your living room. Another is pilates.
Spending an hour or two catching up on your housework is also another way to get active when it's raining. Of course, housework isn't a popular form of exercise for obvious reasons!