So I’ve been doing stretching routines before sleep lately and it has really helped a lot with my insomnia and it has prevented my body from waking up in the middle of the night. What physiological or chemical effects does stretching have on sleep?
In: Biology
Definitely agree that there is an effect here of deep breathing while stretching – causes your heart rate to slow down, then body to turn to more parasympathetic function (rest and digest), less sympathetic function, less adrenaline (Fight/flight), lower cortisol (stress hormone).
Another important consideration – what activity were you doing that you are now doing less of or not at all just before bed?
Finally, the effect of stretching just before bed will increase in effectiveness if you do the stretching throughout the day, more than just once. Over the course of the day the cortisol and adrenaline that you produce build up, and then are still signaling, and being processed (metabolized) while you sleep. If you keep the levels lower throughout the day, by stretching or even just breathing, then when you’re ready for bed the levels are lower for the overnight, and you are less likely to wake up.
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