Struggling to fall asleep even when you're exhausted? Forget sleeping pills and supplements.
New research shows that the real solution might be as simple as moving your body.
These three types of exercise don’t just help you fall asleep faster, they also boost sleep quality significantly.
The undefeated champion of sleep
Yoga tops the list when it comes to sleep-enhancing exercises.
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Research shows it can increase total sleep time by nearly two hours and improve sleep efficiency by up to 15 %.
It also helps you fall asleep faster and reduces the amount of time you wake up during the night.
Slow movement, big results
Tai Chi improves sleep quality by more than 4 % and adds around 50 minutes to total sleep time.
Its combination of slow, mindful movements and breathing control makes it particularly effective for calming the mind before bedtime.
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Simple and powerful
Just 10 minutes of brisk walking per day can make a huge difference.
Activities like walking or light jogging help lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and boost the body’s natural melatonin production, both crucial for deep sleep.
Better sleep efficiency with yoga
Sleep efficiency refers to how much of your time in bed is actually spent sleeping.
Yoga significantly boosts this metric, meaning less time staring at the ceiling and more time getting proper rest.
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Fall asleep faster
One of the biggest advantages of both yoga and Tai Chi is reduced sleep latency, which is the time it takes to fall asleep.
Yoga can shave off up to 30 minutes, while Tai Chi cuts it by around 25 minutes.
Less time awake during the night
Yoga helps reduce the amount of time you spend awake after initially falling asleep by nearly an hour. This leads to more continuous and restorative rest.
Calms the nervous system
Tai Chi helps dial down the sympathetic nervous system. The one responsible for your “fight or flight” response.
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That means less tension in your body and fewer racing thoughts at bedtime.
Naturally boosts mood and eases anxiety
All three activities, yoga, Tai Chi, and walking, have a positive effect on your mental health.
They can ease anxiety and depression, both of which are common contributors to insomnia, helping you relax into sleep.
Accessible, low-risk alternatives to medication
Unlike medication, these exercises have virtually no side effects, are low-cost, and can be done almost anywhere.
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They’re easy to integrate into your routine and don’t require any special equipment.
150 minutes of moderate activity per week
Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week for overall wellness, and that includes walking, yoga, and Tai Chi.
Spread across four or five days, that’s a small investment for significantly better sleep.
This article is based on information from Elle.com.