Sleep is essential for many things in life, including happiness, productivity, and health. Experts have long cited the benefits that a night of zzzs can provide for your body, but some nights, that precious shut-eye seems elusive.
When sleep won’t come, people try many different things to encourage it, including taking medication, restricting access to electronics, or drinking warm milk before bedtime. While these are all valid, one simple, natural way to encourage a more restful night of sleep is to engage in moderate exercise. Not only does it contribute to physical fitness, it enables better health through a good night’s sleep.
Sleep Basics
Most adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep per night to achieve the maximum benefits that sleep can provide. Sleep is essential for health as both the body and mind repair themselves during the deep stage of sleep.
Getting a proper amount of sleep ensures optimal mental health. The brain-boosting benefits of good sleep include improved concentration, better memory, and clearer thinking. Physical health benefits include less chronic pain, better weight control, stronger immunity, and a lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Improve Your Sleep
A recent study showed that people who exercise 150 minutes per week improve their quality of sleep by 65 percent. Staying moderately active helps you fall asleep faster, sleep better and longer, and feel more alert during the day,
which can positively impact performance at work or concentration at school.
If you’re so busy that the thought of exercise makes you tired, consider this: though skipping the workout may seem like the easier choice, the benefits of exercising will have much more impact over the long-term. In fact, moderate forms of exercise such as walking have been shown to have significant impact. Go outside and get moving!
Yoga Before Bed
Exercising at any time of day leads to improvements that will encourage sleep, but yoga offers fitness as well as relaxation just before you hit the sheets. This 5-minute yoga routine from Fitness Magazine only takes about eight minutes,
stretching your muscles and prepping your body for relaxation.
Your health is important to us. If you have an emergency, please visit the Neighbors 24 hour emergency room in Houston and surrounding cities. Find us online at nec24.com.