Getting better sleep may depend on how regularly you move, not just how many minutes you exercise.
Spreading out your exercise time through the week may work better for sounder sleep than more concentrated periods of activity.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin found that people who were physically active more frequently tended to get more deep, restorative sleep.
The findings suggest that spreading activity throughout the week could offer sleep benefits beyond concentrating workouts into a couple of days.
The study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, analyzed Fitbit activity and sleep data collected from university students over several months.
Rather than focusing solely on total exercise time, researchers examined whether the number of active days was associated with sleep quality.
Tthe results suggest that exercise frequency plays a role in sleep health, including for people who do most of their workouts on weekends.
How Much Exercise May Help You Sleep Better?
One encouraging finding was that participants who completed as little as 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily tended to have better sleep.
This doesn’t mean every session needs to be intense. Moderate to vigorous activity raises breathing and heart rate, but the effort should still allow someone to speak.
The researchers described the effort level as about six on a 10-point scale.
Less strenuous movement may help, too. Walking regularly and interrupting long periods of sitting with standing breaks were associated with healthier sleep patterns.
The researchers found that more frequent activity was linked to greater amounts of non-REM sleep, which includes the deeper stages that help the body recover.
Deep sleep is particularly important early in the night.
During this time, the body carries out processes that support recovery from daily physical and mental demands.
Exercise Frequency May Affect Next Day Mood
The potential benefits weren’t limited to sleep itself. Participants who moved more regularly also tended to report better energy and mood the following day.
Greater amounts of non-REM sleep were associated with improved next day mood and energy.
Sleep supports memory, emotional regulation and other important brain functions.
Getting enough restorative sleep is also associated with better overall health.
Previous studies have linked physical activity with improved sleep, but many were conducted in laboratories over short periods. Some measured sleep after just one exercise session.
The UT Austin researchers instead examined activity and sleep in everyday settings over several months.
Using Fitbit data allowed them to compare participants’ movement habits with their sleep patterns over time.
However, the study showed an association rather than proving that frequent exercise directly causes better sleep. Other factors could contribute to the relationship.
Daily Workouts vs. Weekend Exercise
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.
Those recommendations don’t require people to exercise every day.
Some people meet their weekly target through longer weekend workouts, while others spread shorter sessions across the week.
The UT Austin results suggest that regular daily movement may offer additional sleep benefits.
However, researchers still need to establish whether exercising more frequently is better than completing the same total amount of activity over fewer days.
