When asking why people work out, many cite a reason that intersects with appearance and weight. Men want to look good shirtless. Women want to lose "baby weight" or fit into a particular type of bathing suit. Others are gearing up for a significant life event, such as a high school reunion or a wedding ceremony and want to look their best for the momentous occasion.

There's nothing wrong with such motivation, necessarily, but there are plenty of reasons to work out that have nothing to do with how you look. Regular workouts have been proven to elevate your mood, increase creativity, aid digestion, strengthen memory, relieve cramps, and even improve your job performance.

One of the best advantages of working out is that those who do so are more likely to sleep better.

How It Works

Without going into too much scientific detail, there are physiological reasons why regular exercise improves your sleep patterns.

Physical activity improves sleep quality and increases sleep duration. Exercise may also bolster sleep in other ways, because it reduces stress and tires you out. Early morning and afternoon exercise may also help reset the sleep wake cycle by raising body temperature slightly, then allowing it to drop and trigger sleepiness a few hours later. It can be especially helpful if you are able to exercise outdoors and let your body absorb natural sunlight during the daytime hours. (Sleep.org)

Who doesn't want to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer consistently? We would be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't want to enjoy those benefits.

But that's not the only link between working out and sleeping well.

Not only does regular exercise aid you in falling and staying asleep, but it's also shown links to reduced stress and anxiety levels as well as help with battling insomnia and other sleep disorders.

That's just good news all across the board!

Why You Should Care

Honestly, even if you do not struggle with clinical insomnia or other notable sleep issues, you should still care about the link between exercise and sleep. Studies show that even those without clinical conditions are still facing health risks associated with both training and sleeplessness.

According to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, data collected regarding exercise and public health has revealed some fairly alarming results. By and large, most Americans are entirely too sedentary:

• Only one in three children are physically active every day.

• Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

• More than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical exercise to meet the guidelines for youth.

• Nationwide, 25.6% of persons with a disability reported being physically inactive during a typical week, compared to 12.8% of those without a disability.

• 28.0% of Americans, or 80.2 million people, aged six and older are physically inactive.

It is discouraging news, but there is worse news to come. Not only are Americans not exercising enough: they're also not getting enough sleep. They're sleeping less and garnering less benefit than they should. And there are reasons why.

The National Sleep Foundation reports that only 10% of American adults prioritize their sleep. Troublingly, 41% of those surveyed said they rarely take into account how much sleep they need when planning their schedules. Ironically, while those who are chronically busy and consistently overschedule are most in need of sleep, they are the very demographic least likely to make time for adequate rest.

If you recognize yourself in that description, take heart. There are steps you can take to increase your sleep. As we have already mentioned, one of those steps is to get started with a consistent workout routine to exercise for a better night’s sleep.

Getting Started

Getting started with a workout routine is much easier than it sounds.

It doesn't even have to be costly. For those who don't want to pay for a gym membership, there are tons of free or relatively inexpensive training options and apps available online; and although advanced workouts can be time-consuming, most of us would benefit from relatively minor adjustments to our current schedules.

While a five-day workout routine shows the most change, you should not be discouraged if that sort of commitment is not feasible for you. It is not the only option you have. If you can fit in 20 to 30-minute workouts at least three times per week, you will start seeing benefits. Then once you have established a routine, you can work toward increasing both time and intensity.

You may find that once you're exercising better and sleeping better, you'll have more energy daily. More energy will lead you to be more active, which will, in turn, lead to better sleep. It's a cycle that feeds itself, and we can't wait to see you use it to your advantage.

The important thing at this point is not that you kick off with mind-blowing, expert fitness routines. The important thing is that you get started. Once you do, you will be well on your way toward knowing how to exercise for a better night's sleep.

That's where we come in.

We Can Help

When we say we can help, we mean we will provide you with the perfect mattress on which to enjoy your post-workout good night's sleep because although we do encourage our staff to prioritize their physical fitness, none of us claim to be experts in that area.

We are, however, experts on what makes a good mattress.

If you would like more information on any of our premium products, or if you would like personalized guidance, you can feel free either to contact us directly online or to stop by one of our showrooms in person at any time.

We would love to meet you, hear more about your needs, and point you toward the mattress choices that will best suit you. Our staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and non-pushy. We like meeting new people and love helping them achieve their sleep goals.

We look forward to seeing you soon!