How Evening Workouts Affect Sleep and the Best Timing

Engaging in physical activity earlier in the evening can positively influence sleep quality. Research has indicated that exercise completed two to four hours prior to bedtime does not disrupt sleep patterns as one might expect. Frimpong noted, “Our analysis showed that when exercise concluded two hours before bedtime, participants experienced several sleep benefits, including quicker sleep onset and extended sleep duration.” However, it is noteworthy that individuals who exercised within the two to four-hour window before sleeping tended to experience a reduction in REM sleep— the stage most associated with dreaming—compared to those who did not exercise.