Those who love sports and are used to practicing regularly must pay attention to their schedules. For example, an intense workout in the evening, before going to bed, is not a good idea: it can significantly worsen the quality of sleep. On the contrary, a simple walk or yoga, at the same time in the evening, are things that help you sleep.
Very intense workouts (HIIT, competitive soccer, crossfit, heavy weights, racing) facts within 1–2 hours of sleep They can make it more difficult to fall asleep as the body remains "activated": adrenaline, heart rate, and body temperature increase. In particular, experts believe that the negative effects are due to the physiological changes that occur during and after intense and prolonged exercise, starting with body temperature and its relationship with the decisions the brain makes.
Intense exertion leads to a high body temperature, and when the temperature remains high, the brain tells the body that it's not yet time to sleep: hence the poorer quality of sleep. Furthermore, exercise and intense activity activate the sympathetic nervous system, which releases stress hormones.
The signs that intense training is causing sleep problems are very clear:
- you have trouble falling asleep;
- feel your heart “active” in bed;
- you wake up during the night;
- sleep is lighter after workouts.
An Research entitled Does nighttime exercise really disturb sleep? , conducted in 2014 by researchers at the National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America and published in the scientific journal Sleep medicine proves that if training is very intense and leaves the body still “activated” at bedtime (racing heart, high temperature, adrenaline), falling asleep can become more difficult.
Before going to sleep, it's best to do activities that help the body gradually "switch off," lowering mental arousal and body temperature.
The things that tend to work best are:
- quiet reading;
- light stretching or gentle yoga;
- slow breathing or meditation;
- warm/hot shower;
- relaxing music;
- low lights in the last hour;
- avoid stressful discussions or intense mental work.
From a physical standpoint:
- a leisurely walk after dinner can help;
- Very intense workouts immediately before bed are most associated with difficulty falling asleep.
Even some habits make a big difference:
- limit caffeine in the 6–8 hours before sleep;
- avoid heavy meals and alcohol shortly before bed;
- reduce phone and screen brightness in the last hour.
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