Regular movement can pay off in many areas, including your sleep. Exercising has long been considered part of a solid sleep hygiene routine, but does it matter what time of day you do it? While it depends on the person, psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, has found that when it comes to helping shut-eye, there's one exercise time window that trumps the rest. Here's how to go from counting reps to counting sheep.
The ideal time window for sleep.
Though it's not always possible for everyone, Harris, the author of The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, generally recommends exercising four to six hours before bed.
Why, you ask? "Your body temperature starts to decrease about an hour or two before bed," she says on a call with mbg. This temperature shift is an important part of the wind-down process that gets you ready for rest.