yoga

Exercise Your Way to Better Sleep

Steve@Zeo's picture
published by Steve@Zeo on Mon, 09/12/2011 - 13:18


When it comes to exercise, sleep experts are all on the same page:

Just Do It.

Why?

Elementary, my dear Watson. Regular, moderate exercise has proven highly effective in helping people get a better night's sleep, not to mention help lead a healthier lifestyle.

If you're not one to exercise much, or if you want to make sure that you're doing the right moves at the right time, here are 4 essential tips for exercising your way to a better night's sleep.

English

Can one "cure" sleep paralysis?

published by Ryan@Zeo on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 16:53

While there is no cure for sleep paralysis,  its symptoms can be managed.  Some people are simply prone to experience SP throughout their lives; most psychologists believe there's a genetic factor, but it has not been isolated yet.

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How Yoga Helps You Sleep

published by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 16:05

 

If you're new to yoga, here are a couple of easy and quick poses that you can try.  All of these can be done by people of any age or physical ability and fitness level, so get yourself a comfy area rug or mat and give it a shot.

Also, try to keep close to your bed so that you don't have to traipse up the stairs or all the way across the house before easing into slumber.

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How to Relax When Tired but Wired

published by Ryan@Zeo on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 15:01

 

It can take several days, if not weeks, to recover from a spell of sleeplessness. Keep in mind that habitual good sleeping is the best way to recover sleep and start feeling balanced again. Relax and give yourself time to recoup your "sleep debt," which are the hours of sleep lost that must be repaid.

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Is Healthy Sleep Reduction Possible?

Steve@Zeo's picture
published by Steve@Zeo on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 13:54

 

A good question - there's quite a bit of science that suggests the answer is "NO", but I'll get to that in a little bit. First let's talk about different things people are trying to get by on less sleep.

First, there's the class of people who, by increasing their sleep quality, can get by with less time in bed:

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Deep Sleep and Exercise: Is There a Link?

Deep sleep - that seemingly elusive state - is the phase of sleep important for healing, immunity, and physical and emotional restoration;  all good things that we need in order to properly function.  So how can I get more of it?

For a while, one suspected deep sleep booster has been exercise; the more you exercise, the more you'll need to recharge.  Studies say maybe.  Maybe not.  Some of the recent research is even skeptical.  Since I have a Zeo, I figured why not test it myself?  Even though I'm a good sleeper, an extra boost couldn't hurt.

The Quest for More Deep Sleep

In order to track my physical activity, I created a custom factor called Stimulation 1 in the myZeo Online Sleep Journal.  I kept track of my physical activity using a 0-3 scale:

  • 3 when I did yoga or pilates.
  • 2 when I went to the gym or ran.
  • 1 when I had a regular day of walking around at work.
  • 0 when I was a couch potato.

I'll be honest:  there where times when I didn't sleep with Zeo, or forgot to update my journal (hey, I'm human!).  Yet after a year of tracking, the cumulative results are interesting.  (Note: these results are my personal musings and have not been tested for statistical significance).

Gimme Data

Here's what I found in terms of my ZQ score (scores read 3 to 0, left to right):

Unsurprisingly, being a couch potato doesn't do much for my ZQ, but it seems like any kind of physical exertion is good.

Now what about that sought-after Deep sleep?

Just a few more minutes of Deep sleep when I exercise compared to when I don't.  Interestingly, it looks like my yoga and pilates classes correspond to the biggest shift in Deep sleep!

Where This Leads Me

While I'm still not sure that exercise and Deep sleep are causally related, it's something I'll continue to track.  I wonder if yoga - which I always do in the evenings - allows my mind and body to relax making it easier to fall asleep.  Maybe my results are thrown off because I tend to exercise during the week when I have a limited amount of time to sleep, rather than the weekends when I can sleep in.  Perhaps exercise has an effect on quality of sleep rather than quantity - something not measured by most studies.  What I do know is that I feel much better during the day when I exercise, and that alone is a great reason for me to keep it up.

Have you tested the link exercise and sleep?  What have you found?

Rhiannon (ZQ:  101) is our Sr. Research Analyst and the only person in the company to give Kuji a run for his ZQ.  She really likes data.

Experts Agree: Exercise Enhances Sleep

Steve@Zeo's picture
published by Steve@Zeo on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 13:15


When it comes to exercise, say sleep experts, "Just do it." Regular, moderate exercise has proven highly effective in helping people get a better night's sleep.

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