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Evening High-Intensity Exercise Proven to Disrupt Sleep, Landmark Study Finds

Monash University researchers reveal that workouts within four hours of bedtime impair sleep quality, delay onset, and elevate heart rates, prompting calls for revised public health guidelines.

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Even early-evening sweat sessions may be disrupting your sleep

Overview

  • A year-long study of nearly 15,000 participants by Monash University confirms that exercising within four hours of bedtime disrupts sleep patterns and elevates heart rates.
  • High-intensity activities like HIIT workouts, football, and long runs were found to cause the most significant sleep disruptions by increasing core body temperature, heart rate, and mental alertness.
  • The findings challenge earlier studies with smaller sample sizes, emphasizing the importance of real-world, longitudinal data in understanding exercise's impact on sleep.
  • Researchers suggest opting for low-intensity activities, such as light jogging or swimming, when evening exercise is unavoidable to minimize sleep disruption.
  • The study's results highlight the need for updated public health recommendations on exercise timing and intensity to improve population-wide sleep health.