Dose-response relationship between evening exercise and sleep.
AI Summary
This large-scale study examined how evening exercise affects sleep quality using objective data from 14,689 physically active individuals wearing biometric devices over one year (4,084,354 person-nights). The research provides important insights for Blueprint Sleep Optimization by revealing that exercise timing and intensity significantly impact sleep metrics. The study found that later exercise timing and higher exercise strain were associated with multiple sleep disruptions, including delayed sleep onset, shorter sleep duration, and lower sleep quality. Additionally, evening exercise affected autonomic nervous system function, evidenced by higher nocturnal resting heart rate and lower heart rate variability. However, the researchers identified a clear cutoff point: exercise bouts ending at least 4 hours before sleep onset showed no negative associations with sleep parameters. These findings suggest that individuals following sleep optimization protocols should strategically time their workouts, either completing intense exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime or choosing lighter intensity exercises if training closer to sleep time. This evidence-based approach can help maintain the health benefits of regular exercise while preserving sleep quality.
Key Findings
- Later exercise timing and higher exercise strain were associated with delayed sleep onset, shorter sleep duration, and lower sleep quality
- Evening exercise increased nocturnal resting heart rate and decreased heart rate variability, indicating disrupted autonomic function
- Exercise bouts ending at least 4 hours before sleep onset showed no negative associations with sleep parameters
- The study analyzed objective data from 14,689 physically active individuals over 4,084,354 person-nights using biometric devices
Abstract
Public health guidelines recommend exercise as a key lifestyle intervention for promoting and maintaining healthy sleep function and reducing disease risk. However, strenuous evening exercise may disrupt sleep due to heightened sympathetic arousal. This study examines the association between strenuous evening exercise and objective sleep, using data from 14,689 physically active individuals who wore a biometric device during a one-year study interval (4,084,354 person-nights). Here we show later exercise timing and higher exercise strain are associated with delayed sleep onset, shorter sleep duration, lower sleep quality, higher nocturnal resting heart rate, and lower nocturnal heart rate variability. Regardless of strain, exercise bouts ending ≥4 hours before sleep onset are not associated with changes in sleep. Our results suggest evening exercise-particularly involving high exercise strain-may disrupt subsequent sleep and nocturnal autonomic function. Individuals aiming to improve sleep health may benefit from concluding exercise at least 4 hours before sleep onset or electing lighter strain exercises within this window.
Authors
Josh Leota, David M Presby, Flora Le, Mark É Czeisler, Luis Mascaro, Emily R Capodilupo, Joshua F Wiley, Sean P A Drummond, Shantha M W Rajaratnam, Elise R Facer-Childs