Late workouts worsen sleep – scientists

Scientists have told how the intensity of evening training affects sleep

Photo: chika_milan/depositphotos

Physical classes for about four hours before bedtime worsen the falling asleep and reduce the time of rest for 43 minutes.

This is stated in a study that Posted in Nature, writes The New York Times.

The connection between physical exercises and sleep has been puzzled by researchers for decades. Many works have shown that active people sleep better than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Some of the works revealed that morning workouts improve sleep, and playing sports in the evening – no. At the same time, scientists have concluded that any movement at any time of day helps people fall asleep earlier.

However, most of these studies were small, often with less than 20 volunteers with participation, and conclusions are based on people’s memories of when and how they trained and slept.

In a new study, scientists have collected detailed information about the time and intensity of sports and sleep quality on the basis of heart rhythm of 15 thousand active men and women. In addition, they compared this data with the cards of the participants’ sleep.

Scientists have found that physical activity in the next four hours can cause difficulties with falling asleep and reduce sleep time by 43 minutes.

The negative effect on the night vacation was the most pronounced if the workouts were long and/or intense. However, almost any sports in the evening influenced how well the participants of the study slept well.

If people ran a half marathon or participated in a fascinating football game in the evening two hours before bedtime, then they needed an average of 36 hours to fall asleep.

At the same time, the sport for an hour or two after the normal time of sleep made people fall asleep an additional 80 minutes.

Scientists have found that the participants of the study also slept less after difficult evening training, and the quality of the recreation deteriorated – they had frequent awakenings and spinned from side to side.

The authors of the study suggest that it was harmful to sleep that people were still physiologically excited during falling asleep. In particular, the data of their trackers showed an increased pulse even a few hours after intense training.

According to the head of work at Monasha University (Australia) Josh Leot, after late workouts in the evening, you can try meditation, light yoga or other relaxation methods to calm your body. However, it is best to try not to play sports late at night.

« We do not definitely refuse exercise. For the vast majority of people any sport is better than lack. We recommend trying to finish such classes as soon as possible or choose easier workouts »– the scientist explained.

Earlier we toldhow sleep affects weight loss.