As we age, it's harder and harder to get a good night's sleep. The causes are varied: anxiety, pain from arthritis or even sleep disorders like apnea. If you are having trouble getting to sleep, a new poll suggests that exercise might be the answer.
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, just 10 minutes of exercise a day could help – and even more vigorous exercise would be better.
In a survey of 1,000 people, the sleep foundation found that nearly three quarters who described themselves as exercisers said they got a good night's sleep while only half of the non-exercisers said that slept well.
The poll also found that people who sat for eight hours a day had trouble sleeping – another reason why you should make sure to stay active even if you're stuck behind a desk at work.
People who don't exercise were also much more likely to say they had trouble staying awake during the day and were more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, a breathing disorder.
The survey also cast doubt on the conventional wisdom that exercising late in the day hurts sleep. In fact, exercising was more important than not exercising – even when the workout took place in the late afternoon or evening.
