Should you exercise before bed?

The science behind late workouts and sleep quality

Apr 13, 2025

Exercise is good. Sleep is good too. Most of us could probably use more of both of them. But how well do they go together? Is exercise right before bed going to help you get better sleep?

Well, yes and no. Consistent exercise, regardless of the time, has been linked to improved sleep quality. It helps calm both the body and mind, making it easier to unwind at night. Regular physical activity can also shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and enhance slow-wave sleep. This stage is crucial for deep, restorative rest and plays a key role in muscle and bone development, as well as supporting a healthy immune system.

Exercise will release endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which can improve your sleep, reduce anxiety, and elevate your mood.1 It can also help you fall asleep faster and spend more time in deep sleep. However, if you do it too close to bedtime, it's likely to be counterproductive, especially if it's intense.2

You may think that physically exhausting yourself before bed would help you sleep, but that's not so. Intense exercise too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep by raising your heart rate and core temperature which makes it harder to fall asleep. And while those endorphins are great for reducing anxiety, they can also make you feel more alert.

n general, sleep experts recommend that you avoid intense exercise within two hours of bedtime.3 For some people, especially those who have problems sleeping already, you may need to allow four or five hours.4 If you do choose to exercise close to bedtime, make sure you go through a good cooldown routine, giving your mind and body time to relax.5

Take a walk

However, gentle exercise shortly before bed can be extremely beneficial. If you own a dog, you probably know that a moderate evening walk can help you fall asleep faster and experience deeper sleep by promoting relaxation, regulating your body temperature, improving digestion, and calming your mind.6

Consistent evening walks can help to regulate your circadian rhythm: once you go for your walk, you’re sending signal to your body that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Ideally, finish your walk at least half an hour before bedtime to give your body time to cool down and begin the transition to sleep.

Stretch and relax

Alternatively, light yoga7, yoga nidra, Tai Chi, Qi Gong or stretching8 can work extremely well. These are all mentally relaxing without being physically taxing. They involve slow deep breathing, which reduces cortisol and adrenaline, calming the mind and reducing stress. Gentle movements and stretches will also relax your muscles, so you're more comfortable when you go to bed, which will make it easier to fall asleep.9

Unlike walking, these kinds of exercises can be done right before bed. In fact, there's no reason why you can't do them in bed. Most yoga practices finish with a few minutes of savasana or corpse pose, where you just lie on your back and relax. Normally in savasana you try to avoid falling asleep but in this case, it's a bonus if you do!

Tear yourself away from the TV

One other benefit of a walk and a stretch before bed is that it tears you away from the TV. Most of us are aware that we should probably stop using screens for at least an hour before bed, but that's often easier said than done. I admit, I struggle with this myself on a regular basis.

If you give yourself something else to do, it's becomes less of a challenge. You reach that time of the evening and instead of saying okay, I suppose we should switch the TV off, now what do we do for the next hour? you can say now it's time for a walk, or okay, it’s yoga time. Then when you’re done with your exercise, just don't switch the TV on again.

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