Healthy Exercises to Treat Sleeping Disorders

• Sleeping disorders are frequently treated with medications that can cause harmful side effects
• Healthy exercises can relax the body and have a tranquilizing effect on you which will help you sleep
• Yoga and other types of stress relief exercises can help quiet your mind, too
• People suffering from sleep apnea or snoring may find a sleep apnea pillow useful in getting restful sleep

If you suffer from sleeping disorders, you already know that getting a restful night of sleep is a challenge. Thankfully, there are some methods that can help you find more peace and relaxation when it’s time to go to bed.

Using Exercise

One of the most common sleep disorder treatments is prescription strength sleeping pills. However, these pills can have serious side effects and, like any drug, can become addictive. Before you resort to medication, try adding some healthy exercises to your routine to see if they can have a positive effect on your sleeping habits.

Research has shown that people suffering from insomnia generally are less active than people without this condition. Sleep apnea, one of the most common and potentially dangerous sleeping disorders, can be caused by obesity so getting more exercise can also help reduce that problem.

Beyond that, however, healthy exercises have consistently been shown to help patients improve their ability to get a good night’s sleep, especially when they follow certain guidelines. For example, to improve your sleep you should do your exercises in the late afternoon or early evening. This gives your body a chance to relax and to slow back down from the workout. Don’t exercise right before going to bed. It won’t help.

Also, make sure the exercise you choose involves your leg muscles. Science suggests that when you exert these muscle groups, chemicals that act like sedatives are released into your body which can help you begin winding down and preparing for bed. These exercises could include walking, running, bicycling, swimming, walking on a treadmill, doing stair climbing, and other types of aerobic routines.

Relaxing Your Mind

If you have sleep disorders, relaxing your body might not be the only problem. Your mind may also need to unwind before you get some sleep. Healthy exercises can help here, too, but you want to use a different formula.

Before going to bed, engage in some type of non-aerobic exercise. Yoga is a great example because it was designed to help reduce stress and to calm the mind. Another option is a leisurely walk outside while practicing deep breathing and/or mindful meditation in which you focus your entire mind on each step you take or on the feeling of the breeze against your skin. This focus keeps all of the other thoughts normally running through your mind at bay.

Climb into bed after completing your exercise. Turn off all the lights. If you need some kind of sound in the room, use relaxing music on a low volume but always turn the television off. You want to keep distractions to a minimum.

Bringing in Additional Tools

In some cases, sleep apnea and snoring can be sleeping disorders that cause you to not get a restful night’s sleep. The problems stem from a blockage of the air passageways so you have to breathe louder (snoring) or you stop breathing (apnea). You can sometimes use a sleep apnea pillow to reduce this problem because it is designed to keep your neck in the best position for open airways. If you’ve tried everything else, this might be a good idea to try before resorting to prescription sleep disorder treatments.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.