Sleep Experts Say Exercise Before Bedtime OK

Early-morning exercise not your thing? It doesn't have to be, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

USA Today reports exercising during the four hours before you go to bed doesn't necessarily hinder slumber. 

The 2013 Sleep in America Poll, released this past week, finds people who exercise at any time of day report sleeping better and feeling more rested than those who don't exercise. It also finds people who exercise in the last four hours before bedtime report sleeping just as well as those exercising earlier in the day.

The idea that exercise late in the day negatively affects sleep was always based on conjecture and anecdote, the report says. The theory was that the stimulation of exercise, combined a rise in body temperature, would keep people awake.

Jessica Matthews, a fitness instructor and personal trainer who is a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, tells USA Today that her advice has evolved as it's become clearer that different times work for different people. She suggests people who want to try exercise later in the day give it a try — and experiment with the timing, intensity and type of workout to see what feels right.