Have you ever wondered whether you should get that extra hour of sleep or whether you should get up to go to the gym at 4:00 am? Me neither…. Well, just kidding. But it is important to re-think how you look at sleep and how much you are actually getting. Researchers have found that for most individuals sleep decreased as exercise duration increased, which led to the conclusion that exercise and sleep compete with each other for time for most.
“Losing minor amounts of sleep due to exercise should be fine, as sleep itself benefits from exercise—shorter time needed to fall asleep, more efficient sleep,” said principal investigator Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, associate professor of sleep and chronobiology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Basner recommends that fitness professionals talk with clients about how much sleep they’re getting and notes that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society suggest adults get at least 7 hours of sleep per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote health.
“The goal should really be to find a balance that allows regular exercise and sufficient sleep,” says Basner. “For morning types, it may make more sense to exercise in the morning, while the opposite is true for evening types. As with everything in life, there is a golden middle. Excessive exercise or sleep are very likely unhealthy behaviors.”
original article found here.
