If you’re like most people, busy days and hectic schedules often cloud your head even after you get home or even lay down, making it hard to fall asleep. What most people don’t know, is that exercise can actually help you sleep better! Exercise does wonders for your body and is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with other supplemental factors such as healthy eating and even home sauna use. Just changing a few small things in your daily life can drastically improve your sleeping habits, consequently improving your mood and well-being. 

Exercising can help you fall asleep 

This doesn’t necessarily mean you should or shouldn’t be exercising right before bed, everyone is different and responds to stimuli in different ways. So, you should be exercising at the best time for you personally. The point is to get your exercise in! 

That being said, when you exercise you burn a lot of energy. This not only makes you tired in itself from the physicality of it, but it heats up your body too. When your body returns to its normal temperature, that slow drop in temperature is said to induce sleep, causing you to feel relaxed. 

Exercise can increase the time you’re asleep

An often researched topic by various doctors and clinics is the amount of sleep, the number of hours, that an adult should get to optimize brain and body functionality. The common understanding is that adults should typically be getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. A study that was conducted has shown that exercise does, in fact, play a role in increasing the duration of sleep, helping you achieve your sleep goals! 

Exercise can improve your quality of sleep 

Not only is it important to achieve 7-9 hours of sleep to feel your best, it is important to have regular sleep cycles, accessing deep sleep. Deep sleep allows your body to focus on itself and repair and restore your organs and systems. A research study concluded that regular exercisers reported experiencing the best sleep in comparison to non-exercisers. 

Studies have also been conducted linking regular sauna use to better sleep. An increasing number of people in the United States are beginning to adopt the Finnish custom of sauna use in their daily lives. Regular users of home saunas have reported feeling relaxed and refreshed after their sauna sessions and typically incorporate their home sauna kit routine after exercising or before bed. 

Exercise can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety 

Feeling stressed and anxious about your busy schedule and long, hectic days is a big factor in poor sleep. Stress can negatively impact and disrupt your ability to sleep. However, exercise can act as a stress-reliever, helping you feel better and making it more likely to have a good night’s rest. 

Exercise helps combat sleep disorders

Exercise is often recommended to those that suffer from insomnia which is the diagnosed condition of having difficulty or not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night. 

Sleep deprivation can cause a multitude of adverse effects on the body such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, depression, heart disease, decreased mental performance, mood swings, and so much more. So, it is important to make sure that you are getting enough sleep! Exercise is a great proponent of that and can help you stay healthy! Pair exercise with home sauna use for more of the benefits!