Unfortunately, some people cannot find any time during the morning to work out and have to engage in physical activities later in the afternoon or the evening. This is because it disturbs the baseline set by the body, which reacts by being excessively alert throughout the day and night after the workout. Some of my patients complain about the effects of workouts on sleep when they sporadically decide to work out at night when their bodies are used to working out in the morning. The purpose of a routine is to build a pattern that your body recognizes so that stimulation of the brain and body by physical activity will not negatively impact sleep as much.Īvoid Exercising at Different Times Each Day If you can build a routine of working out early in the morning (before 10 am), then you are more likely to fall asleep easier at night.Ī recent study found that people working out in the mornings found it easier to fall asleep, and could sleep for a minimum of eight hours without any disturbances throughout the night. The human body works on biological rhythms, and it thrives on patterns to be able to perform replenishing and rejuvenating tasks while you sleep. Try these 15 ways to sleep better after drinking coffee.įollowing a regular routine before bed can help you to get to sleep faster after exercise because the repetitive cues can trigger your brain to initiate sleep.įor example, having a shower, reading a book, switching off your phone, putting in earplugs, or putting on a sleep mask can help trigger your body into recognizing that it’s time to go to sleep. Minimize caffeine intake as much as possible after a workout, and make sure only to take post-workout powders that are caffeine-free. I always ask my patients to be careful when buying protein shakes and powders as supplements for their workouts – check the label to see if the supplement contains caffeine or any other stimulating substances. This is because the stimulating effects of caffeine – when combined with the alertness caused by physical activity – results in overstimulation of the body which causes post-workout insomnia. However, if you are working out later in the day, taking caffeine before or after your workout may make it much harder to get to sleep. If you are hitting the gym in the morning before work or school, having a post-workout shake with caffeine may allow you to remain focused. Many pre-workout and post-workout powders contain caffeine as a key ingredient to increase performance. Related: click here to see the best mattress for exercise recovery and muscle soreness.Ģ: Do Not Consume Caffeine Within 8 Hours Before BedĬaffeine is a stimulant and its consumption too late in the day may make it harder to get to sleep – especially when the post-workout effects of exercise are factored in.Īvoiding caffeine 8 hours before bedtime can give your body enough time to excrete the caffeine and for your body to return to baseline. No part of this article is designed to replace the advice of your own doctor.Īlways consult with a qualified professional for the best guidance for you. Some of these measures need to be done before the workout as a preventative measure, whilst others can be applied later on if you have worked out too late in the evening. In the rest of this article, I have used my professional knowledge as a practicing medical doctor to provide you with 10 actionable ways to sleep better after exercise. The most effective way to sleep better after exercise is to have a warm shower to relax your muscles followed by a cold shower to cool your core temperature hydrating, light yoga, taking melatonin, drinking chamomile or lavender tea, and eating foods like honey can also help. So how can you sleep better after exercise? Sleeping after exercise can be difficult due to the increase in adrenaline, heart rate, and body temperature that exercise brings on. However, I’ve found that engaging in my favorite high-intensity Thai boxing, boxing, MMA, CrossFit, and weight training exercises after 6 pm keeps me awake until the early hours of the morning in many cases. Sony Sherpa – a qualified and practicing medical doctor – to ensure the content is medically accurate.Įxercise has been a huge part of my life for the last 20 years.
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