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Two Methods:Exercise Rules for Better SleepSleep Improving Yoga Poses

A number of sleep studies have discovered that daytime exercise promotes better sleep. Even walking 1 mile (1.6 km) as an older adult can help your sleep cycles, although doctors recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of intense exercise. While many people argue they are too tired to exercise, this may be a vicious cycle. Without exercise, your sleep cycles may not be deep enough to promote a restful sleep to provide enough energy for your daily routine. You can choose the type of exercise that works best with your routine. When, where and how you exercise can affect your sleep cycles. It is a good idea to plan your workout routine according to these rules, or implement new relaxation routines. Read more to find out how to sleep better with exercise.


Method 1 of 2: Exercise Rules for Better Sleep

  1. 1
    Increase your aerobic exercise by 20 to 30 minutes. This is the type of exercise that gets your heart rate going, but is moderate enough to allow you to breathe heavily but still keep up a conversation. You can choose fast walking, swimming, jogging, cross-country skiing, biking, dancing or using an elliptical machine.
    • Studies also show that yoga and Tai-Chi have a similar effect of increasing blood circulation and lung capacity. They have been shown to positively affect sleep cycles.
    • Sleep studies showed that people who engaged in regular aerobic activity secreted more growth hormones, which help you to repair your body's systems and heal more quickly.
  2. 2
    Exercise in the late afternoon or early evening. Although you may already feel exhausted during this part of the day, exercise at this time may energize you for a few minutes, get you excited for dinner, but use up your remaining energy stores. This energy release can cause you to have deeper sleep.
    • Many people prefer to exercise in the morning because it helps them to wake up and be energized for the day. This is still beneficial, especially if you get outdoors in the sun. Sunlight has been shown to help your sleep cycle adjust so you are energized in the sunlight and more tired at night. However, you may choose to do your more intense activity in the morning and then take a 20 to 30 minute walk in the evening, especially if you are a high-energy person.
    • Exercise in the late afternoon raises your body temperature. During the remaining few hours before bed, your body temperature will lower to a rate that's ideal for sleep.
  3. 3
    Make sure you do your intense exercise at least 3 to 4 hours before bed. You must balance the need to use up your excess energy and let your body have a restful period before bed.
  4. 4
    Sneak exercise into your daily schedule. For example, parking your car farther from a building and forcing yourself to walk or taking the stairs every day can have positive effects on weight and sleep. They also use up excess energy and add to your body's need to rest at night.
    • If you often have restless sleep, this could be the result of having too little activity throughout your day. Make an effort to steadily increase the amount you walk, stretch, get up and move throughout the day. Aim to take at least 10,000 steps.

Method 2 of 2: Sleep Improving Yoga Poses

  1. 1
    Begin a light yoga routine right before you go to sleep. This yoga should be relaxation based, and done on your bed, with sleep following the poses. This light exercise will allow you to release muscle tension and stress.
  2. 2
    Do an upside down pose on your bed for 2 minutes. Align your buttocks with your headboard and put your legs in the air, on the headboard or the wall. Breathe in and out in slow deep breaths.
    • If your hamstrings are tight, move your buttocks further away from the headboard.
  3. 3
    Sit on your bed cross-legged. Do a gentle twist, with your right shoulder moving forward and to the left. Hold for 30 seconds and then do the opposite side.
    • Do not do this stretch if you have any chronic back problems.
  4. 4
    Lay flat on the bed with your arms out. Bend your knees and let them fall open, with the soles of your feet against each other. Rest in this position for 2 minutes.
    • Bring your feet closer to your groin to take advantage of a light stretch.
  5. 5
    Do a child's pose for 2 minutes. In this pose, you kneel on the bed and allow your torso to flatten over your thighs and knees. Lay your arms flat over your head and breathe deeply.
  6. 6
    Lay flat on your bed and grab your knees to your chest. Rock gently back and forth for 1 minute while breathing deeply as you rock.
  7. 7
    Extend your arms and legs and relax into your bed. Picture each part of your body relaxing and becoming part of the bed, until you drift into sleep.

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Categories: Better Sleeping

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