Sports and sleep: how to train to sleep well

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Daria Polevaya

Practicing general practitioner with 7 years of experience. I love my job and try to constantly improve my skills.

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Movement is life and the key to health, so it is important to maintain physical activity. And there are periods of time during which training is especially effective and beneficial. Is it possible to exercise before bed? Find out the pros and cons, as well as the rules for healthy and proper activities.

Biorhythms

The life of every person is determined by biological rhythms laid down from birth. There are three classifications of biorhythms:

• Physical;
• Psychological;
• Spiritual.

They change in a sinusoid with equal frequency from 23 to 33 days. Depending on whether the biological rhythm indicator is in the interval of high or low energy today, a person feels a surge of strength, sensitivity to the mood of others, feels an emotional uplift, or, on the contrary, succumbs to laziness and a negative attitude.

However, natural predestination is not the only indicator that influences biorhythms. The predisposition to high physical activity is closely related to the current condition. That is, the more active the workout, the greater the surge of strength a person feels. That is why it is recommended to draw up a training schedule depending on the biorhythm, and transfer periods of intense activity to the morning hours.

However, this rule is not true for all sports - there are areas that are contraindicated for morning activities, and some even doctors advise moving them to the evening for better relaxation and quality rest at night.

The best time for training depending on the biological rhythm

Each person has their own biological rhythm and you are no exception. The advantage of training in the morning is that you start it rested, and after the training you feel a surge of vigor and strength. Minus - if you don't get enough sleep, the opposite effect awaits you.

According to the recommendations of experts, listen to your body. If you can’t bring yourself to do even light exercises in the morning, but in the evening you feel a special surge of strength, move your workout to the evening. Then the training will be useful and have a beneficial effect on sleep. The relationship between restful and restful sleep and physical activity has been proven. Working out in the morning after sleep or resting after an evening workout helps increase the body's stamina and strength, and improve health.

Calculate your peak activity using the formula: hour of birth + 8. Is it possible to exercise late in the evening or late at night? Don't worry, train, but wisely.

Pros and cons

Since most athletes train in the evening hours, and their coaches do not interfere with this daily routine, it is fair to assume that going to the gym after work will not cause much harm to the body. But in order to understand what result to expect, you need to weigh the pros and cons of evening sports.

Some of the benefits of working out after work include:

• Calm atmosphere in the hall;
• Fatigue from strength exercises guarantees deep sleep at night and relieves insomnia.

The disadvantages of evening sports include:

• “Overload” in the gym, causing insomnia;
• Aerobic exercise stimulates the production of adrenaline, which prevents night rest and is more suitable for morning activities.

That is, there are no strict contraindications why you cannot exercise in the evening, but you should follow several rules - take a break after finishing your workout before going to bed and limit yourself to certain types of exercises that have a relaxing effect on the body.

Proper nutrition after evening workouts

1. Eat high-protein foods: seafood, boiled chicken, turkey, veal.
2. To strengthen bone and muscle tissue, include fermented milk products in your diet: kefir, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt. Buy low-fat products without additives.
3. Replace sweet store-bought drinks with weak herbal teas, mostly green.
4. Weaknesses and fatty foods are prohibited.
5. Eliminate coffee and cocoa, alcoholic drinks, black tea.
6. Eat maximum 4 hours before bedtime.

How does sport affect sleep?

Physical overload really has a negative impact on your sleep at night. However, this does not mean that any sport will interfere with healthy sleep. Trainers and doctors advise following simple recommendations:

• Complete aerobic and strength training no later than 4 hours before bedtime;
• If you experience severe drowsiness or fatigue during a break from sports, you should resume going to the gym;
• Moderate physical activity causes fatigue and stabilizes sleep.

In addition, exercises tone the body, allow you to lose excess weight, and tighten the muscular skeleton. All this together eliminates the problem of snoring.

Harm

The negative aspects of the hobby for evening workouts should be considered in conjunction with other parameters:

• How familiar is this mode;
• what is the biological rhythm, physical, emotional stress during the day.

However, it is necessary to highlight some points that apply to most evening sports fans.

1. A hard day at work and accumulated fatigue can lead to the fact that the benefits of an evening workout are reduced to a minimum. If classes are completed shortly before bedtime, stimulation of the nervous system will make it difficult to fall asleep.
2. Exercising before bed speeds up your metabolism. If you deprive yourself of dinner because of the late hour, your muscles will not receive the biological elements necessary for recovery.

Intense exercise can cause muscle cramps at night. There may be several reasons, including a violation of the water regime (many people avoid drinking a lot at night), temperature changes, and severe overexertion.

How sleep affects exercise

The influence of sport on sleep is not one-sided, that is, the quality of night's rest affects the level of physical activity:

• Somatotropin is produced during sleep

Somatotropin is a hormone that is responsible for the body’s overall endurance and energy restoration. Its production is maximum during the deep sleep phase, so the better a person sleeps at night, the greater the surge of energy he will feel in the morning.

• Lack of sleep triggers cortisol production

Cortisol is a stress hormone that leads to decreased performance and poor mood. In this state, you don’t want to go to the gym, and you can’t get enough sleep at night with an insufficient level of physical activity, which again leads to an increased level of cortisol in the blood. This problem is especially acute for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

It turns out that in order to ensure a quality workout, you need to get a good night's sleep, and this is only possible in the presence of physical fatigue, which is achieved during sports. The only problem is to overcome yourself and go to the gym one day to become part of this vicious circle of increasing endurance and energizing the next day.

Optimal time

The time for training, depending on the type of activity, conditionally divides the working day into three parts.

Running and athletics

This also includes active dance styles such as Zumba and dance aerobics. The best time for rhythmic training with music is morning and afternoon from 5:30 to 14:00. Active movement improves blood flow, helps you wake up, and energizes you for the whole day.

Morning exercise is ideal for those who want to lose weight. It is best to go to training on an empty stomach so that the body uses up the “strategic reserve”. After this, a light breakfast is recommended.

If you can’t exercise on an empty stomach, you should have a snack a couple of hours before the start of class so that breakfast has time to digest.

Power training

Working out in the gym is a serious physical and psycho-emotional shake-up, during which the body prepares for further vigorous activity. However, it is not recommended to exercise in the morning, since the muscles are not yet prepared for serious physical activity, and a light breakfast will not provide enough energy for productive work.

The best time for strength exercises is from 12:00 to 18:00, but no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime. Those athletes who consume protein shakes should take a reasonable approach to their diet. Many products contain caffeine, so it is better to use them before physical activity, rather than after.

Cardio exercises

Any endurance training, like strength exercises, places a serious strain on the body, so it should be done in the daytime or in the evening. The deadline for finishing the lesson is 20:00, otherwise you will then have problems falling asleep.

If for some reason the workout was completed an hour or two before going to bed, you should pay special attention to relaxation. Good rest is promoted by:

• Leisurely stretching;
• Hot bath;
• Herbal soothing tea;
• Book reading.

It is better to avoid watching TV and using gadgets, as they have a stimulating effect on the nervous system and can negatively affect the quality of sleep.

Yoga

The best type of exercise in the evening and at night is yoga, stretching, and walking. Simple, low-intensity exercises have a calming effect on the nervous system and relax muscles, all of which promote sleep. It is recommended to plan the start of the workout no earlier than 18:00, and its end can occur 30-20 minutes before bedtime.

Tips for those who prefer sports before bed

Exercising before bed undoubtedly wins the battle against excess weight. From 18.00 to 20.00 more calories are consumed, it is during this time interval that the temperature in the body rises and the metabolic rate increases. At elevated temperatures, muscles become more elastic and flexible, which increases their mobility and reduces the risk of injury. Also, evening workouts have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and prevent the appearance of morning swelling. If your legs swell at the end of the day, then an evening workout will help cope with this problem.

However, certain rules must be followed:

1. It is recommended to take a quiet walk in nature after active physical activity. A leisurely step, a quiet environment will help put your psyche and nerves in order, and your body will relax after exertion and will not hurt.
2. If you use sports nutrition, carefully study the composition, as it may contain energy substances: caffeine, guarana extract.
3. Taking a warm bath will help relieve physical fatigue. 10-15 min. Such procedures will improve blood circulation and also calm the nervous system.
4. At the end of your workout, take a few minutes to relax.

Cons of night sports

The main reasons why it is not recommended to exercise at night or before bed are possible overload, which negatively affects the quality of rest, as well as an increased feeling of alertness due to accelerated blood flow. As a result, sleep problems will begin.

However, we must remember that each organism is individual. If the work schedule involves night shifts or the athlete faces a midnight flight, then evening physical exercise will only have a positive impact on the implementation of plans.

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