Along with the adequate vitamins and mineral, as well as a proper diet, exercise is also key to good sleep at night.
• Exercise
Exercise is an activity which many people try to shove off to the side and claim they do not have time for. They are up early for work and spend a day at a desk. By the time they get home, get the kids fed, and the house in some semblance of order, the last thing they want to do is motivate themselves to exercise. Rather, it is time to plop down on the couch and watch the TV until it is time to go to bed.
People make time for what they want to do, though, and most of the time exercise is not on their top 100 plans for the day. When, in reality, if they use a little creativity and rearrange their schedules a tad, exercise could fit into a day as readily as making time to take a shower or watch a movie.
Exercise has numerous benefits, besides helping you sleep at night. If done earlier in the day, it can invigorate you with enough energy to sail through your schedule. Exercise also reduces stress. Many people find that lifting weight, attending classes, or participating in an aerobic activity takes their minds of the world around them allows them to focus on themselves and their bodies. Because exercise gives energy, it also gives you the ability to lower stress by keeping you from the afternoon doldrums.
Exercise is also a mood stimulant. With more energy and less stress, it is no wonder you are able to walk around the day with a happier outlook. It helps that you know that working out is making you look better, giving you more self-confidence.
The extra oxygen flowing through body due especially to aerobic exercises allows you to battle sleepiness during the day and helps you fight off the naps which you may be tempted to take. If you can avoid taking naps, the chances that you will sleep better at night are greatly increased.
Because you have exercised and been able to perform more during the day, by the time your scheduled wind down and bedtime arrives, you are more than ready to relax and fall asleep. A day full of accomplishments is sure to have you eager for rest at the end.
However, because exercise is a stimulant, be sure not to work out three to four hours before your bed time. Otherwise, you are so awake and motivated afterwards that you will be lying wide awake until your body can calm back down.
If you want to do some form of relaxing exercise before bed, consider tai chi. It is an ancient Asian art which requires slow, fluid motions and focused breathing. This calm exercise can help you wind down at the end of the day. Yoga is another quiet workout, involving stretching and breathing. It especially helps loosen tense muscles and help you clear your mind after a long day.
