This Is The Best Time Of Day To Exercise & Still Get Great Sleep

Regular movement can pay off in many areas, including your sleep. Exercising has long been considered part of a solid sleep hygiene routine, but does it matter what time of day you do it? While it depends on the person, psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM, has found that when it comes to helping shut-eye, there's one exercise time window that trumps the rest. Here's how to go from counting reps to counting sheep.

"If you exercise within three hours of going to bed, which is what a lot of people do, you're raising your body temperature, which can get in the way of you falling asleep," Harris adds. Exercising earlier in the evening, on the other hand, will give you plenty of time to cool down, eat, and digest your final meal of the day (nothing too heavy, fatty, or spicy if sleep is a priority) before snoozing.

These days, she exercises in the morning—which she's found neither helps nor hurts sleep quality. However, she cautions that people who have trouble sleeping through the night and tend to wake up super early should avoid morning workouts, as they can train your body to keep waking up at that time.

And if you still have a hard time falling asleep, consider taking a targeted sleep support supplement, like mindbodygreen's sleep support+. The formula contains magnesium bisglycinate, jujube, and PharmaGABA® to help you wind down by promoting relaxation and enhancing sleep quality.* Better yet? It's melatonin-free, so you can wake up and work out without feeling groggy.*