The Small Change in Your Bedtime Routine That Scientists Say Will Help You Sleep

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Light exercise done in the evening, such as chair squats and calf raises, may lead to a better night’s sleep and potentially reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease in older adults, a new study finds.

Previous studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time and insufficient sleep are both linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and death.

However, vigorous exercise before bed has long been discouraged because it can increase body temperature and heart rate, leading to poor sleep quality.

A new study, published in the journal BMJ Open Sports and Exercise Medicine, found that short bursts of light activity in the evening can extend sleep by up to 30 minutes.

In this first-of-its-kind study, approximately 30 participants completed two four-hour intervention sessions in the evening, consisting of prolonged sitting and sitting interspersed with three-minute activity breaks every half hour.

The intervention included three exercises: chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight-leg hip extensions.

“These simple, body-weight exercises were chosen because they don’t require equipment or a lot of space, and you can do them without interrupting the TV show you’re watching,” said study co-author Meredith Peddie.

After participants completed the exercise, researchers found that they slept 30 minutes longer.

“We know that for many of us, the longest period of uninterrupted rest occurs at home in the evening. In our previous studies, we found that getting up and doing 2 to 3 minutes of exercise every 30 minutes reduces the amount of sugar and fat in the blood after a meal,” said Jennifer Gale, lead author of the study.

“However, many sleep guidelines tell us that we shouldn’t do longer bouts or higher intensity exercise in the hours before sleep. So we wanted to know what would happen if you did very short bursts of light intensity activity repeatedly throughout the evening,” she said.

Researchers say people could get a similar positive effect if they walked around their house or marched in place.

Even dancing alone in the living room can help, scientists say.

“The most important thing is to get out of your chair regularly and move your body,” Dr. Peddie said, adding that regularly breaking up long periods of sitting is a “promising health intervention.”