Exercise to sleep better

Physical activity and sleep go hand in hand. A study has just shown that physical activity has a direct anti-fatigue action, probably thanks to the secretion of serotonin.

Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist at Doctor’s Daily, tells us today about a study which shows that the quality of our sleep depends on all of our daily activities.

franceinfo: PThe more physical activity is sustained during the day, the more sleep improves, Martin?

Martin Ducret: Yes, this is the result of an Australian study, published in the journal Sleep Healthin which 24-hour activity parameters were collected from more than 2500 children and adults, for 8 consecutive days, 24 hours a day.

Periods of rest, physical activity – light, moderate and intense – the duration of sleep, its regularity and its effectiveness were measured with an activity meter, a small box worn on the wrist, which records body movements. Participants also reported their level of fatigue during the day, and the presence of sleep disorders.

With all this information collected, the authors of the study were able to make links between sleep, physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle?

Yes, they found that the more physical activity participants had, the better their sleep was and the less tired they were.

For Professor Pierre Geoffroy, psychiatrist and sleep specialist at the ChronoS center at GHU Paris and Bichat hospital, “VSThis study, whose originality lies in the global consideration of a 24-hour day, highlights the beneficial effect of physical activity on sleep and fatigue.

There is a misconception that doing sport promotes the quality of sleep, causing fatigue or exhaustion. On the contrary, this study Professor Geoffroy told me, shows that physical activity would have a direct anti-fatigue action, probably thanks to the secretion of serotonin, a hormone which plays a key role in improving mood and the sleep-wake cycle.”

So doing sport reduces fatigue and helps you sleep better. And as we sleep better, we are less tired. It’s a virtuous circle!

But is there a physical activity threshold that should not be exceeded?

Certainly yes. Too much physical activity over time can become counterproductive for sleep and fatigue. This is the case among certain high-level athletes, who train too much and do not recover enough; this is called overtraining. But, I reassure listeners, it is not by doing one to two hours of physical activity per day, even intense, that we risk overtraining.

On the other hand, for some people, exercising too late in the day can cause difficulty falling asleep. It is therefore better to do it, if possible, closer to bedtime.