People with full-blown insomnia tend to have a hyperactive stress syndrome
Lt. Gen. Mahmud Ahmed Akhtar
Former Surgeon General Pakistan Army
Diet, sleep and exercise, activity play equal part in promotion of health and prevention of diseases. Pakistan has the highest incidence/ prevalence of non-communicable diseases, not only in this region but other regions in the world including sub-Saharan Africa. WHO has estimated that only 10% of adults in Pakistan do physical exercises regularly. Likewise, Pakistani population indulge in poor diet consumption. Pakistan has the highest pollution of air, water, sound and food, causing rise of communicable / non-communicable diseases.
The answer to these lies in prevention. Prevention is not only better than cure infact it is the only cure. The progressive countries solved these problems by applying preventive measures. The insomnia is quite a common problem in Pakistan. The right kind of exercise can help you sleep better, says Hannah Singleton, a health journalist. Moderate fitness activities are useful but going too hard can worsen insomnia.
Lt. Gen. Mahmud Ahmed Akhtar
Sleep and exercise work together like gears in a machine: when one turns smoothly, other follows suit. Quality sleep supports athletic recovery and performance, while exercise releases useful brain chemicals, lower stress and can help you fall asleep faster. But for those battling insomnia, the rules can be different: even a small misalignment can throw the gears out of synchrony just as benefits go hand in hand, so the drawbacks. Exercise can stress the body, much like sleep deprivation itself. Exercising too intensely, too late in the day or too often can backfire, making it harder to drift off or stay asleep.
While most people do not have to be overly mindful about workout routines affecting their sleep, those with insomnia-chronic dissatisfaction with sleep quality or quantity for at least three nights a week over three months are more sensitive. “People with full-blown insomnia tend to have a hyperactive stress syndrome. Stressors tend to have a bit of exaggerated response in the body” said Dr Christopher Kline professor of health and human development at the university of Pittsburgh. People with insomnia may not respond as well or recover as efficiently from the physical demands of exercise, he added.
However, there are ways to exercise regularly without worsening sleep issues. When you complete a grueling workout, you might expect to crash as soon as your head hits the pillow. But you cannot exercise yourself in sleep said Dr Kelly Baron a clinical psychologist and the director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at the university of UTAH. She continued “sure you sometimes can feel really physically tired from exercise, but it does not mean that you are going to necessarily sleep better”. The sleep-inducing benefits of exercise from moderate aerobic activities (like walking, jogging or cycling) to high intensity exercise (like a half-marathon or punchy HIT session) can have the opposite effect: poor sleep quality especially related to falling asleep. I have been working with elite athletes for years now, said Kevin Morgan, the former director of the clinical sleep research unit at Loughborough university in England. “If there was a simple relationship between vigorous activity, energy expenditure and sleep, they would sleep like babies and they do not sleep badly.
Exercise temporarily elevates heart rate, blood pressure and core temperature, the factors counterproductive to sleeping. The elevated cortisol, the body’s stress hormone is another potential cause. While most workouts lower cortisol while high intensity and prolonged aerobic exercises can increase it.
Additionally, muscle soreness, pain and myoclonic jerks-sudden twitches from over worked muscles can cause tossing and turning training hurts. There is no question that exercise is generally good for sleep. People who exercise an hour get bigger benefits than those who exercise 30 minutes, but you can overdo it as more is good up to a certain point.
Disturbed sleep is one of the key symptoms of over-training when your work load is higher than your ability to recover. For instance, more than six intense sessions a week can lead to difficulty in falling asleep, according to 2021 study. Another study found that both very big and low level of exercise increased insomnia risk for individuals, especially for those whose main physical symptom activity comes from demanding jobs.
While the average gym goer is not at risk of over training, a big change in exercise regimes like preparing for a marathon or daily boot camp classes can exacerbate insomnia. “That is a time to evaluate what their exercise intensity, frequency and level is”. Timing matters too. A 2022 study found that any physical activity after 8 p.m. caused people to sleep less while another study shows that intense exercise ending one hour before bed time may disrupt sleep. Late night hours’ workouts would not negatively affect everyone with insomnia. But people with the disorder are at a greater risk.
While researchers have not determined the ideal exercise routine for sleep improvement, a 2024 meta-analysis suggested moderate aerobic exercise paired with light strength, mind body practices (like yoga or tai chi etc.) and traditional insomnia treatment. Dr Kline also recommended people with insomnia exercise at the same time every day. Mr. Morgan said: Routine is the guardian of good sleep. It maintains circadian rhythm.
Keep your focus on intensity and timing, pay attention to pain and find a balance. If evening exercise leaves you weird, switch to mornings or afternoons. If evening is only your free time try shorter, less intense sessions. Rustam- e -Zaman who defeated Mr Boscow in a wrestly bout at Lahore, Mr Hameed Rustam- e- Hind and their team used to have long sessions in the morning and short sessions in the evening at their stadium at Amritsar.
Above all, find a rhythm. It can take weeks or months for an exercise habit to translate to better sleep and the short-term effects can be pretty small. Once you dial in a routine that works, the gears will start turning again. You will sleep better after being active and your workouts will feel easier as you sleep through the night.
Exercise is the gift that keeps giving. Diet, sleep and exercise play equal role in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. The timing of exercise has been discussed in this article and its relationship with sleep.
In conclusion, a moderate and regular exercise, keeping an account of its intensity and timings with a balanced diet are the main indicators for a better sleep, promoting an optimal physical, mental and social health or well-being.
