Want to Sleep Better? Try to Exercise, Whether Early or Late

Want a better night's sleep? Try some exercise. Sleep experts have announced that a workout, whether you do it during the morning, afternoon or night, can help you drift off.

The National Sleep Foundation used a growing body of evidence as well as a poll before they announced their findings. In particular, the 2013 Sleep in America poll showed that people who exercise at any time during the day reported that they slept better and felt more rested than those who didn't exercise. In addition, it showed that those who exercised in the last four hours before bed slept just as well as those who exercised earlier in the day.

In fact, the poll also found that how vigorously you exercise also affects the quality of sleep. Those who exercise more had much better sleep quality in comparison to those who don't exercise at all. People who avoided exercise were found to have more sleep problems.

In the poll, exercise was defined as doing at least 10 minutes of some physical activity in the week before being surveyed. Survey takers reported how intense their workouts were and classified themselves in one of four categories: vigorous, moderate, light and non-exercisers. Those who categorized themselves as vigorous exercisers consistently said that they had a good night's sleep (86 percent) while far fewer non-exercisers said the same (56 percent).

Yet the most crucial finding was that the timing of the exercise didn't seem to matter. A mere three percent reported that they slept worse when exercising later in the day--the margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.

"The timing of exercise ought to be driven by when the pool's lap lane is open or when your tennis partner is available or when you have time to get away from work, not by some statement that has never been validated," said Barbara Phillips, one of the specialists who worked on the poll, in an interview with USA Today.

Whether it's early or late, exercise can mean the difference between tossing and turning or sleeping well.