New research published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine has shown that small amounts of light activity before bedtime may improve sleep.
The randomized crossover trial included 28 adult women who completed two different assigned interventions starting at about 5:00 pm. The first intervention was prolonged sitting, which is common for many people in the evening. The second intervention was sitting interrupted by a short burst of bodyweight exercises for 3 minutes every 30 minutes. Participants wore devices on their wrists to measure both activity levels and sleep time and quality. The goal of the study was to see how sedentary time and short bursts of activity impact sleep quality and quantity.
The results showed that participants slept for nearly 30 minutes longer after completing short bursts of activity every 30 minutes before bedtime. Short cycles of exercise before bed also increased participants’ sleep periods by about 30 minutes.
The authors noted that sleep guidelines typically do not recommend intense exercise in the hours leading up to sleep, since rigorous exercise can increase body temperatures and interrupt sleep. However, short bursts of light activity before bed appear to lead to better sleep quality. This effect may occur because exercise reduces levels of sugar and fat circulating in the bloodstream after meals. Higher levels of exercise during the day have also been previously linked to better sleep quality, but most interventions have focused on earlier exercise rather than exercise in the evening before bedtime.
Prolonged sitting can have serious negative impacts on health, including raising the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and death. For many people, the longest periods of sitting occur in the evening, after work or other activities are completed. Additionally, poor quality sleep and insufficient sleep quantity have both been associated with a greater risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Short exercise breaks in the evening may provide a simple and convenient way to improve sleep quality and overall health.