- With Mayo Clinic sleep specialist
Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D.
Risk factors (1)
- Sleep and weight gain: What's the connection?
Causes (1)
- Late-day exercise: Can it cause insomnia?
Complications (1)
- Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Ambien: Is dependence a concern?
- Sleep aids: Could antihistamines help me sleep?
Lifestyle and home remedies (6)
- Insomnia: How do I stay asleep?
- Foods that help you sleep
- Melatonin side effects: What are the risks?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (2)
- Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid?
- What is reflexology?
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Question
Late-day exercise: Can it cause insomnia?
Does exercise late in the day cause insomnia?
Answer
from Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D.
Regular exercise reduces stress and anxiety, and generally improves sleep. But for some people, exercising within five hours of bedtime may cause problems getting to sleep.
Keep in mind, everyone's different. For some people, late-day exercise isn't a problem. It may require some trial and error to see how working out affects the quality of your sleep. Without making any other changes that are likely to affect your sleep, take notes on how well you sleep after working out at different times. This can help you determine the time of day that's best for your workout and the least disruptive to your sleep.
Next questionLack of sleep: Can it make you sick?
References
- Passos GS, et al. Effect of acute physical exercise on patients with chronic primary insomnia. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2010;6:270.
- Reid KJ. Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Sleep Medicine. 2010;11:934.
- Sleep hygiene tips. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htm. Accessed Feb. 25, 2011.
- Sleep hygiene — The healthy habits of good sleep. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. http://www.sleepeducation.com/Hygiene.aspx. Accessed Feb. 25, 2011.
- Insomnia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/inso/inso_treatments.html. Accessed Feb. 25, 2011.
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