A good night's sleep is essential for health and well-being. Many sleep hygiene practices that don't involve taking medication help with restorative rest. For example, maintaining a consistent bedtime, optimizing the sleep environment (i.e. keeping it cool, minimizing light ⁘ noise, avoiding cell phones), limiting caffeine, and getting natural light exposure are effective strategies.
Physical activity is another powerful tool. Specifically, targeted exercise can help regulate circadian rhythms, reduce stress, and promote deeper, more restful sleep.
Walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming help reduce stress and improve sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep). Targeted stretching can also release muscle tension and promote relaxation. Additionally, high-intensity interval training—called HIIT— improves sleep quality.
A Sleep Medicine study examined the impact of HIIT on perceived sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in people with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-- where the airways become blocked during sleep, leading to pauses in breathing (apneas) and disrupted sleep cycles. People were randomized to HIIT consisting of five periods of four minutes of on a treadmill at 90–95 % of maximum heart rate with with three minutes of walking at 50–55% of the maximum heart rate, three times per week for 12 weeks. Compared to a control group, the HIIT group had improved sleep quality and less daytime sleepiness.
Weightlifting or bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and resistance band workouts enhance overall physical health and can reduce nighttime restlessness.
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