An Active Life: The Key to Quality Sleep

Talk to anyone who makes exercise a regular part of their life, and they'll likely share how much it improves their sleep. There’s also solid scientific evidence to support this connection. The link between physical activity and sleep quality runs deeper than you might expect.

Our bodies are hardwired to sleep best when we've engaged in enough physical exertion during the day. It's all part of our evolutionary design: back when we were hunter-gatherers, high levels of daytime movement and effort were simply a fact of life. Our circadian rhythms adapted to rely on that physical input as a cue to initiate the restorative processes of sleep at night.

Today, with many of us leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles, that natural balance can become disrupted. Without the strain of regular physical activity to signal to our bodies that it's time to rest, our sleep-wake cycles can fall out of sync. This is where the problems start  — poor sleep then leads to a host of other issues, from reduced cognitive function to heightened anxiety and even physical health concerns.

Fortunately, resetting that link between exercise and quality sleep can be as simple as making a few tweaks to our daily habits. 

Studies show that even small amounts of physical activity can have a substantial impact on sleep quality. Something as straightforward as a 30-minute walk or light jog can be enough to shift your body's internal rhythms back toward a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

The mechanisms behind it are pretty fascinating, too. Exercise causes your body temperature to rise, then drop a few hours later — a dip that signals to your brain that it's time to wind down and retire for the night. It also boosts the production of sleep-promoting hormones like serotonin and melatonin, while lowering levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that can sabotage your ability to fall and stay asleep.

The type, timing, and intensity of your physical activity may have an impact on the quality and depth of your sleep, but the overarching lesson is clear: make movement a daily priority, and both your body and mind will thank you for it.