This Low-Impact Exercise May Land You 2 Extra Hours Of Sleep

Woman on yoga matThough exercising too close to your bedtime may actually harm your sleep more than it helps, the NHS says that getting enough movement in your day is key to consistently good slumber. Johns Hopkins Medicine writes that we don’t actually know why physical activity helps you snooze. It might be because working out releases “happy chemicals”, endorphins, or because it raises your body’s core temperature, they suggest.A half-hour of exercise is linked to better sleep that same night, nonetheless.And now, a new review has been published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine that has named the low-impact exercise that could improve the sleep of insomniacs like me by almost two hours. Yoga might give you two hours of extra sleep The scientists looked at 22 previous randomised controlled trials involving over 1,300 people with insomnia. They found that while cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was helpful for managing the condition, so too was exercise.“Among the various modalities examined, yoga, Tai Chi, and walking or jogging appear to be particularly effective,” they wrote. Not only did yoga improve sleep time by just under two hours on average, but it also helped participants to nod off half an hour earlier than usual. The review found that the positive sleep effects of Tai Chi and CBT combined may last for as long as two years for people with insomnia, while those associated with aerobic activity or aerobic activity with strength training seemed to last for seven months.Of the activities included in the research, though, yoga won out in sheer added minutes of kip. The scientists encouraged more research into the topicAs we mentioned above, the relationship between sleep and exercise is still not fully understood. Perhaps that’s why this study didn’t recommend an exact amount of yoga or time at which to do it. “To confirm and extend these findings, future research should prioritise large-scale, high-quality RCTs with standardised intervention protocols,” they wrote in their paper. The more data we have, the more exercise and sleep scientists can rest easy (sorry....).Related...Do Dads Sleep Through Their Babies' Cries At Night?Neurologist Shares The 1 Sleep Change That Could Reduce Dementia RiskThis Is The Worst Position To Sleep In If Heartburn Wakes You Up At 3AM

Comments

Breaking news

Nine bar staff arrested for beating on British tourist over £460 bill

Metro

Comments

Breaking news

Nine bar staff arrested for beating on British tourist over £460 bill

Daredevil who jumped to Earth from space is killed in paraglider crash ‘into hotel pool’

Diane Abbott suspended from Labour after MP doubled down on visible racism row

Diane Abbott Suspended By Labour For A Second Time Over Anti-Semitism Comments

Half-Assing Workouts Changed My Life – And It Could Work For Your Goals, Too

Lowering the vote to 16 won’t save Labour from Reform

TikTok-less iPhone promises ‘to reconnect children with life’ – for £99 a month

How a dusty old envelope led to discovery of one of world’s rarest minerals

‘I’m not crazy’ Russian mum found living in cave in India with daughters speaks out

I’m living in fear of repercussions after the Afghan data breach

Schoolchildren trapped after bus leaves road in Somerset crash

Granny, 80, accidentally ‘burns eyes’ of bathers after letting off pepper spray in spa

Migrants are turning to sex-centric OnlyFans to help fund their legal fight against deportation

I deplore Brexit, German chancellor admits as he signs new treaty with Starmer

Photos of US State Department workers getting hugs and applause as they're fired

Woman accused of attacking driver with bear mace after she hit chicken trying to cross the road

‘Racism in plain sight’: Outrage after DOJ seeks one-day sentence for cop convicted in Breonna Taylor shooting

Boy, 14, killed after being hit by car in Scotland

FTSE 100 closes up despite ‘harsh’ UK jobs data

Starmer hits back at ‘rattled’ accusation over Labour MP suspensions

Exclusive: ‘Food thief’ sues ex-employer over ‘shame’ of being fired for eating coworker’s bagged lunch

Scottish Water workers accept pay offer but ‘concerns continue’, says union

Police arrest teen in connection with a paddleboarder's killing in a pond in rural Maine

Barron Trump-endorsed podcaster asks JD Vance ‘what changed?’ over his Epstein files stance

Juul can continue selling its tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, FDA says

Record 8,000 US students have applied to UK universities amid Trump’s college crackdown

How the climate crisis and aid cuts could devastate global supplies of vanilla

Heavy rain in South Korea leaves at least four dead and 1,300 forced to evacuate

Lee Corso honored at ESPYS as he begins his farewell from 'College GameDay'

Ohio zoo cited after door separating two groups of lions broke, leading to death of a lioness

Voices: As unemployment hits a four-year high, Rachel Reeves must now do whatever it takes

10th person dies from Massachusetts assisted-living fire

Border Patrol hiring spree offers lessons as another immigration agency embarks on massive growth

US corn growers warn Trump’s push for cane sugar in Coke will cost thousands of American jobs

August 2025 Bank Holiday benefits and pension payments dates plus cost of living support

Trump administration hands over nation's Medicaid enrollee data, including addresses, to ICE

Rare flesh-eating bacteria has already killed four beachgoers in Florida this year

The Latest: House prepares to advance cuts on public broadcasting and foreign aid

Former Glasgow footballer dies suddenly as club pays touching tribute

Pub landlord told punters he wanted someone to 'murder' his wife amid bitter divorce

Van driver killed and dog put down after horror accident on rural Scots road

Boy arrested and charged after fire ripped through building in Kilmarnock

Councillor claims van driver tried to run him over at Fallin roadworks site as workers 'verbally abused'

Why is Trump fighting with MAGA over Epstein - and what has the president said about the paedophile?

Pope 'deeply saddened' by deaths at sole Catholic church in Gaza after Israeli strike

Spies and special forces among more than 100 Britons whose details were included in Afghan data leak

New £1.25million expansion plan for popular Balmaha spot in local jobs boost

Rescuers working to free passengers after bus crash in Somerset

Thunderstorm warning issued by Met Office - but temperatures will remain high

Contractor appointed for Lanarkshire healthcare app pilot

Woman arrested after death of man in Ayr flat as police probe continues

Drug dealer caught with £6,000 worth of cocaine in Paisley "given a chance"

Details of Brits including spies and special forces included in Afghan data leak

Activists to plaster UK with a very embarrassing Donald Trump photo ahead of visit

Cat owners warned that sneeze could be sign of 'kitty chlamydia' or herpes

Peter Falconio conspiracy theories from 'faked death' to girlfriend wrongly accused

For one week only shoppers can save 50% on ‘sophisticated and sensual’ Rabanne perfume

Minehead bus crash UPDATES: 'Bus leaves road' leaving passengers trapped

New car rules could see 2 in 5 petrol and diesel drivers 'give up vehicles'

Disneyland celebrates 70 years of magic - from napkin sketch to global icon