Does exercising at night affect sleep? - Harvard Health (2025)

FAQs

Does exercising at night affect sleep? - Harvard Health? ›

However, those who did high-intensity exercise — such as interval training — less than one hour before bedtime took longer to fall asleep and had poorer sleep quality. Despite the findings in this particular study, I generally recommend against strenuous physical activity for at least two hours before getting into bed.

any medical professionals working night shifts struggle to get enough quality sleep. Working those late hours significantly impacts our natural circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm internally regulates the rise and fall of our sleep-wake cycles throughout the day.

When your body temperature remains elevated you are very likely to have trouble sleeping. Exercise elevates body temperature, and cooling the body becomes increasingly difficult when you are inadequately hydrated. Some level of dehydration is highly likely following long endurance events lasting more than 4-5 hours.

Moderate-intensity physical activities are effective in managing sleep disorders like insomnia, while high-intensity activities, especially in the evening, may lead to difficulty sleeping.

Ask a Sleep Doctor

Here's his advice. “If you've pulled an all-nighter, working out is not the best idea as you'll be putting yourself at risk of injury. If you do want to exercise, choose something gentle and easy, like an at-home yoga session or a slow jog around the block.

Negative Effects of Night Shift Work

Working the graveyard shift (11 p.m. - 7 a.m.) can lead to digestive problems, a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, higher cholesterol, increased depression and anxiety disorders, more errors and accidents, and a higher rate of divorce.

This can negatively affect both sleep and wakefulness. For example, night shift workers frequently sleep during the daylight, precisely when your body's signals to wake up and stay awake are strongest. As a result, daytime sleep can be short and frequently disrupted.

The Timing of Exercise May Matter

Some people may find that exercising close to bedtime seems to keep them up at night, says Gamaldo. How does working out affect the mind? Aerobic exercise causes the body to release endorphins. These chemicals can create a level of activity in the brain that keeps some people awake.

However, unlike healthy people, exercising six or more times a week could lead to poor sleep quality among insomnia patients. Three months or less of physical exercise was more effective in improving sleep quality than more than three months of physical exercise.

Can Exercise Cause Insomnia? In general, the answer is no. However, some people experience exercise-induced insomnia if they exercise too close to bedtime, while others have no trouble falling asleep right afterwards. For some people, exercising too late in the day can keep them up at night.

What is the best exercise for insomnia? ›

If you deal with insomnia, then cardio workouts, also called aerobic exercise, such as swimming, biking, jogging, or walking, may help you sleep. You may also see some improvement in sleep apnea symptoms. Some studies suggest moderate-intensity cardio is better than more intense exercise for sleep health.

We found a robust inverse relationship between sedentary behavior and physical activity and sleep architecture: both low-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were associated with increased NREM sleep and decreased REM sleep, as well as a longer REM latency, while higher levels of sedentary behavior ...

In general, if you're going to exercise at night, it's best to do light to moderate-intensity activity. This level of activity may help you fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. It's also important to complete your workout at least 1 hour before bedtime.

Traditionally, experts have recommended not exercising at night as part of good sleep hygiene. However, a small study, published in Sports Medicine suggests that some people can exercise in the evening as long as they avoid vigorous activity for at least one hour before bedtime.

Will your body eventually force you to sleep? Without outside stimulants or drugs, your body will eventually force you to sleep. Brains are designed to protect the body and part of that protection is forcing sleep when it's needed.

However, researchers found that high-intensity exercise can raise your core body temperature— and if your nighttime workout is particularly intense, it can cause problems like poor sleep quality and more time awake during the night.

Sleep schedules

Night shift workers should try to stay on the same sleep schedule every day of the week. This means that you don't change your sleep time on days off. Keeping a regular schedule will help align your body clock with your sleep pattern. This will increase the quality of your sleep.

"Researchers have found that shift work is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, ulcers, depression, obesity and high blood pressure, along with sleep problems, such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep and excessive sleepiness," he said.

Among those studies that quantified duration of shift work, there were statistically significant elevations in risk only after about 20 years working night shift. It is unclear from these studies whether or not there is a modest but real elevated risk for shorter durations.

Night shifts cause the body to battle against its natural rhythms by trying to be alert when programmed to be sleeping. Similarly, when you go home after a night shift, the cues from your internal body clock and daytime light exposure tell you to be awake and active.