{"id":21439,"date":"2022-12-18T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-12-18T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=130772"},"modified":"2022-12-18T09:42:07","modified_gmt":"2022-12-18T08:42:07","slug":"early-risers-and-night-owls-a-sleep-expert-explains-the-best-time-to-exercise","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/early-risers-and-night-owls-a-sleep-expert-explains-the-best-time-to-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Early risers and night owls: A sleep expert explains the best time to exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Alice Gregory\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 18 December 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Some of the mechanisms by which exercise has a positive impact<\/a> include reducing factors that can disrupt sleep<\/a>,\u00a0such\u00a0as anxiety and obesity; and assisting the circadian rhythm<\/a>, the natural sleep-wake cycle\u00a0(to support consistent\u00a0patterns).<\/p>\n

Recommendations, historically, included avoiding exercise close to bedtime in case sleep was disrupted by raising body temperature, for example. However, the evidence is not consistent that working out late in the day is problematic \u2013 although it might be prudent to avoid vigorous exercise in the hour before you want to fall asleep.<\/p>\n

As to whether advice should differ for larks, those\u00a0\u2018morning types\u2019 who function at their best earlier in the day,\u00a0as compared to owls,\u00a0\u2018evening types\u2019 who function best later in the day,\u00a0the answer depends,\u00a0in part,\u00a0on whether there is a desire to shift sleep timing.<\/p>\n

Our body clocks<\/a> are controlled by factors from within\u00a0our bodies,\u00a0and tweaked by\u00a0influences\u00a0from the world around us,\u00a0such as\u00a0the timing of exercise and our light exposure. Less is known about the impact of exercise on tweaking the body clock than light<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, it is possible that if an \u2018owl\u2019 is keen to fall asleep and wake up earlier (because, for example,\u00a0of a specific work schedule), exercising early in the day\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and with simultaneous light exposure\u00a0\u2013\u00a0may\u00a0help.\u00a0On the other hand, if a \u2018lark\u2019\u00a0wishes\u00a0to go to bed later\u00a0(to allow for a longer evening),\u00a0they might benefit from exercising later\u00a0in the day, at some point\u00a0between 7pm and 10pm, particularly if\u00a0there is\u00a0an\u00a0 exposure to light<\/a>\u00a0at the same time.<\/p>\n

There could be an interaction between exercise timing,\u00a0whether you\u2019re a lark or an owl,\u00a0and sleep.\u00a0One study found that exercising later in the day was\u00a0more\u00a0 associated with a delayed sleep time<\/a>\u00a0for \u2018morning\u2019\u00a0than \u2018evening\u2019\u00a0types.\u00a0A\u00a0busy lifestyle can\u00a0make it tricky for\u00a0people to schedule exercise; if evening provides that\u00a0opportunity,\u00a0then exercise\u00a0benefits outweigh the risks.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n