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Wake Up to the Importance of Exercise

Working Out Improves Sleeping Patterns


In fact, in a study on sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia, exercise was shown to play a key role. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine asked these adults to exercise 20 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The result? Time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and total sleep time increased by almost one hour.

What’s more, exercise offers many other mental benefits:

  • Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that accumulates in your blood
  • Sharpens your brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available
  • Eases built-up muscular tension
  • Strengthens and stimulates your heart and lungs
  • Stimulates your nervous system
  • Increases your production of endorphins— those little substances which create a sense of well-being and increase your body's resistance to pain
  • Stimulates release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement
  • Increases deep sleep, as the brain compensates for physical stress

Shakespeare didn’t know about sleep studies when he wrote about "sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care," but it seems he did know one thing—there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep!

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Member Comments

DIANEDOESSMILES
I HIGHLY agree with this article !! I used to hardly fall to sleep. I joined the team Sleep Challenge here on SPARKs did it twice,,, using all of the suggestions and now I fall to sleep BEFORE my head hits the pillow!!! Exercise CLEARLY pays into this along doing yoga (beginners, some of them can be doing sitting in a chair !) and walking which is very difficult,,, I use a knee walker,,,, tomorrow going back into a cast,,, but if you have the desire, you CAN work around MOST issues in life. I DID check with my Dr first to make sure I wsn't going to hurt myself more, it was agreed upon that yes, I CAN do the walking and the yoga. Exercise DOES make all the difference, as well as cutting OUT ALL CAFFIENE ! If your saying "OH I could NOT do that ! I NEED my coffee, soda, energy drinks etc,,, think again. I talked yesterday to a young neighbor who was very excited in the vending machine we have here in the community room they are now carrying Mountain Dew, I asked him "how anxious are you? How do you sleep"? His answers to both were "I don't sleep well and I am a very angry person." I could relate, for once I gave UP the caffeine I settled WAY DOWN !!! NO longer as anxious as I was,,, as said I can now fall asleep as I lay my head down.

TY for this article ! Report