How to Get a Better Night's Sleep

In this article I will show you how to get a better night's sleep by exercising. Exercise not only helps you get physically fit but also has an impact on your mood both of which are important in improving the quality and regularity of your sleep patterns.

The physical effects of exercise help you sleep in a few ways. First by being fit and healthy you are less lightly to suffer from minor illnesses such as colds that make sleeping difficult. Also those who exercise regularly are less likely to be overweight or obese which is another common cause of poor sleep. On a more positive front it is much easier to get to sleep if you are physically tired.

Exercise also has positive effects on your mind and mood as so-called happy chemicals like serotonin are released. It is much easier to get off to sleep if you are feeling calm and positive rather than worrying and fretting. Certain types of exercise are particularly good for relaxing both your body and your mind such as yoga.

It is best not to do vigorous exercise within a couple of hours of going to bed as this is too stimulating and ideally you need a winding down routine leading up to your bedtime. As an aside it is helpful to get into a regular pattern of going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday and there's a lot of truth in the old adage: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man (or woman) healthy, wealthy and wise. The general advice is to exercise a minimum of half an hour 5 times a week. It may take a while to notice the benefits in terms of your sleeping habits but of course there are other more instant benefits that should help you to keep going.

Exercise does not need to mean going to the gym or an aerobics class if that's not your preference, a walk in the fresh air is just as beneficial when it comes to getting a better night's sleep. It's important that you pick something you enjoy and will do on a regular basis. Also you can do more harm than help if you don't build up your level of activity gradually - for one, strained muscles is not good for sleep and for another the chances are you won't keep going if you make it too much like hard work.

By the way do you want more information about getting healthy if so download my brand new free ebook, Dawn's Top 7 Myths of Health and Weight Loss here: http://www.healthyhabits4life.co.uk