Do Sports Help Sleep Cycles?

Although you may appear relaxed and removed from reality while you sleep, your mind and body are actually quite active during the night, restoring tissues and healing damage done during the day. You cycle through different sleep stages throughout the night, each with its own health benefit. If you have trouble falling asleep, wake up during the night or sleep restlessly, participating in sports or other exercise might improve your sleep patterns.

SLEEP STAGES

As you sleep, you progress through 90-minute sleep cycles that include both non-REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep with its four stages, from light to deep sleep and REM sleep. You spend about 75 percent of your time in non-REM sleep overall, says David Nieman of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University in the May/June 2005 issue of "ACSM’S Health and Fitness Journal." Waking up in the night or not getting enough sleep overall can affect the amount of time you spend in different sleep cycles. Each sleep cycle has specific benefits for your health. Deep sleep is restorative and REM sleep helps work out psychological issues or problems you're grappling with.

TIMING

Do not play sports at night after dinner if you want to improve your sleep. For some people, strenuous activity within five hours of bedtime may worsen rather than improve your sleep, according to the Mayo Clinic.

STUDIES

Many studies show a positive effect from sports and exercise on the sleep cycles, while others show mixed results. According to a review of studies conducted by researchers from Kansas State University and reported in the April 1996 issue of "Sports Medicine," exercise can increase the amount of time you spend in slow wave sleep and overall sleep time, but also decrease the time in REM sleep. A Swiss study published in the August 2009 "Journal of Adolescent Health" reported that vigorous exercise did improve sleep quality in adolescents.

CONSIDERATIONS

You are the best judge of your sleep quality. You know when your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep improves and when you feel less tired during the day. While studies may determine outcomes for many or even most people, you may not achieve the same results. Playing sports might also increase your risk of injury, especially if you haven't been exercising. Pain from injury will not help you sleep better, so go slowly when you first start playing a sport and clear any new activity with your doctor.