Exercise and Sleep - Home Remedy Sleep Disorder Exercises

Various surveys and studies have confirmed that over thirty percent of the adult population do not get enough sleep each night and that sleep deprivation affected daily work and home life.

Problems caused by sleep deprivation include -

Stress
Irritability
Inability to concentrate
Reduced capacity for problem solving
Poor coordination and reaction times
Lower physical strength and energy levels
Excessive tiredness

For our brain and memory to function properly, we need to be able to fall into a deep sleep otherwise information learned throughout the day will easily be forgotten. The brain is only capable of retaining new information for a short period of time which is why sleep deprivation causes problems with concentration and problem solving.

Although it might be stating the obvious, we also need to sleep well in order to wake up feeling alert, fresh and ready to take on the day. If you tend to wake up feeling more tired than when you went to bed the night before, it is a good indication that more hours of sleep are required.

Even though no two people need the exact same amount of sleep per night, studies have shown that the average adult receives seven and a half hours per night with the actual sleep time ranging between five and ten hours per person.

From birth to adulthood, it is estimated that actual sleep time is cut in half although teenagers still need plenty of sleep as they are still growing and also very active. Sleep experts recommend that the average teenager should be getting between 8.5 to 9.25 hours sleep per night.

Although it does not need to be strenuous, exercising on a regular basis can go a long way to improving sleep quality as well as relieving the daily stresses of life. However, research has shown that less than thirty three percent of adults get enough exercise every day with a further forty percent doing no form of exercise at all. As well as being one of the causes of the obesity, a complete lack of exercise can also be the cause of other health problems such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

Out of all types of moderate exercise, walking is something that can be done by most people and is also considered to be a low impact exercise as it is easy on the joints. Walking can be considered as a workout in its own right although it is dependent on the fitness level of the person in question.

For those that have not exercised for a while or who are overweight, slow paced walking should be practiced initially whereas Individuals that are in better shape, should walk more swiftly and for longer in order to reap the benefits. The more vigorous walking pattern a person develops, the more exercise they will get. On top of that, a fast walk will get the heart rate up and also burn the same amount of calories per hour as running would but without the strains on the body.

As well enjoying the benefits of physical fitness, research has shown that people who engage in frequent walking also improve their sleep habits as well as having an overall better outlook on life.

Other forms of exercise that can help improve sleep include yoga for body and soul and jazzercise, which really gets the blood flowing.

Jazzercise has proven to be one of the largest exercise programs ever with over five thousand instructors teaching some nineteen thousand weekly classes to over four hundred thousand students in thirty eight countries.

Whatever form of exercise you decide to take up, It is recommended that light stretching of the muscles and joints be done before any exercises are undertaken. This warm up period improves flexibility and reduces the incidence of injuries.

If you are looking to get a good nights sleep, it is advisable not to exercise immediately before bedtime. Ideally, late afternoon or early evening is the best time to set aside for exercise. Either way, try to finish your exercise at least four hours before you turn in for the night.