When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, both sleep and exercise are essential components that should not be pitted against each other. According to Dr. Sleep, getting enough rest is important for workouts as it reduces the risk of injury and allows muscles to recover from exercise. Recent research has also indicated that aerobic exercise can help decrease sleep discomfort and insomnia in patients, with effects that are similar to those of sleeping pills. However, more research is needed to compare physical exercise with medical treatments for insomnia.
Jeff Rodgers has successfully helped patients with sleep apnea by treating the condition with oral apparatus therapy (OAT). Regular exercise, even short sessions, can lead to improvements in total sleep time, sleep quality, and time spent falling asleep. Breus also points out that hand-eye coordination has been directly linked to lack of sleep; when you don't get enough rest, your coordination is affected. The Sleep Foundation's editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards of accuracy and objectivity. OAT devices can help relieve symptoms of sleep apnea so patients wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start their day.
Researchers have collected a lot of data on the benefits and potential consequences of exercising, including how exercise affects sleep. Along with getting more than seven hours of sleep each night, those are your minimum goals when it comes to healthy rest and physical activity. For professional athletes and others who can't choose their training program, taking melatonin after an evening workout can help restore circadian rhythm and mitigate effects on sleep quality. Consistent physical exercise produces similar benefits, and just like not getting enough sleep, not exercising can have serious health consequences. According to available studies, “We have strong evidence that exercise helps you fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality,” says Charlene Gamaldo, M. D., medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep.
Inadequate quantity or quality of sleep is associated with both short- and long-term measures of ill health, increasing the risk of heart disease, memory problems and diabetes. Both morning and evening exercise have been shown to promote deep sleep, and it seems that total sleep time is not affected by exercise in the morning compared to night. By neglecting sleep so you can exercise early in the morning, you are neglecting other essential processes in your body. In contrast, exercise causes an increase in core body temperature, an increase in heart rate, and higher levels of arousal that are not conducive to sleep. Sleep apnea prevents a person from having the deep, restful sleep they need to wake up energetically, and it can also put them at a much higher risk for other conditions such as mood disorders, heart attacks and strokes. For those who suffer from this condition, getting up at the same time every day and incorporating regular exercise could help ease sleep problems even if it means sacrificing a little time to sleep in the short term.
