Where Sleep and Exercise Meet

Scientists have known for a while that sleep and exercise have a symbiotic relationship, but that link is proving to be deeper and more essential than expected.

- Mirel Ketchiff

“The functions of sleep are to conserve energy and repair tissues in the body,” says Bradley Cardinal, a codirector of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Laboratory at Oregon State University. The more time you spend at the gym then, the more shut-eye your body needs, he says. The results can be dramatic: After working out for four months, insomniacs got a life-changing 85 more minutes of sleep a night – better than any drug can deliver, a study in the journal Sleep Medicine found.

And the benefits go both ways: Deeper sleep ensures that your energy stores and muscle function are replenished, Bradley says. “Snoozing well the night after you exercise makes your muscles and tissues stronger and more resistant to fatigue and injury,” adds Jennifer Martin, a clinical sleep psychologist and member of the Equinox Health Advisory Board. You can gain the full power of the sleep-sweat connection by following the four-point plan here.

Step up your game It takes just 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a few days a week to improve your sleep, says Kelly Baron, a clinical psychologist specialising in sleep at Rush University Medical Center. “But more seems to be better,” she says.