Light Physical Activity Can Help You Sleep Better
Physical activity has been linked to better sleep. If we know that insomnia and nightmares are a huge problem, that affects 44% of people in the United States, we can say that every way that can help us is a good way. According to the University of Pennsylvania research: running, weightlifting, yoga and biking are linked to better sleep. Even gardening has the same effect. All of these activities are much better alternative than having no physical activity at all.
On the other side, housework and childcare are linked to bad sleeping habits. They usually affect on parents. It is possible that they cannot sleep for other reasons, but researchers didn’t draw a connection. The study included 400.000 adults. They were asked how much they slept in the past month and how many hours they spend every day on physical activities. The researchers found that every physical activity has a positive effect on sleep, except childcare and housework. All of those actives are better that having no activity at all.
According to Dr. Michael Grandner, a lead author, people who had any kind of activity, slept 7-8 hours a night. This is the recommended amount of sleep per night. Even walking has this benefit. However, running, biking and even gardening are more effective.
If you just started having physical activity, but you don’t experience any benefits yet, don’t lose hope. According to the researcher, it may need you a couple of months until you feel better sleep. Activities where you use more muscles and you burn more calories are better for you than exercises where you don’t use a lot of muscles.