The Importance Of Exercise

Exercise is important for every one of all ages and it is just as important to seniors as it is for everyone else. Of course exercise helps regulate body functions and that includes sleep, for seniors in particular exercise at the appropriate times of day is a wonderful and natural aid for helping with insomnia. When the body ages sleep patterns change and what many people tend to think of as insomnia is actually just a natural change in the body.

The definition of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or the lack of being able to stay asleep, it also means the failure of getting a restful and fulfilling sleep that refreshes the mind and body, even despite the length of time slept. There are numerous causes for insomnia. Many of the most predominant reasons being physical ailments, emotional distress or stress. A large amount of alcohol consumed late in the day is also a cause of insomnia. Many studies have also found that sometimes it is simply not being fatigued that keeps you up in the night, your body hasn?t used up all of its energy for the day. Most often it is due to stress and keeping troubling thoughts or issues in your mind when trying to sleep and many times it can lead to awakening early due to your anxiety and nervousness. If your body isn?t tired and your mind is racing through the difficulties in your life you are a very good candidate for insomnia.

Most people have insomnia at some point in their life but what many people think is insomnia is not always the case. For instance, seniors feel they are suffering from insomnia but it is just a natural part of aging. Seniors sleep less and the periods of deep sleep, or REM, grow shorter and they will awaken more often during the night. Many seniors are usually caught napping during the day and that is very normal and can be very refreshing and needed if they are getting a recuperative sleep at night.

Most people and seniors included look for help with their sleeping disorders in medications even when there is a completely natural solution close at hand. As we all know every medication has side effects and should not be relied upon for long lengths of time. Sleep aids also cost money that can be saved for more needed items. In short, the best solution for seniors is a natural sleep remedy.

The benefits of exercise are numerous, not just for keeping up physical strength and to look and feel better, but also as a natural sleep aid. By keeping your body physically moving with exercise, will in a way, force your body to react with a good rest, your body?s natural cure for fatigue will kick in and therefore provide you with much needed rest. The only thing to keep in mind is that exercise too late in the day or evening can actually keep you awake because your heart rate will still be up when it?s time for bed. So make sure you do your exercising in the day.

The endorphins that are produced naturally when we exercise also play a critical role in helping you to sleep. This helps you have a more relaxed state of mind and reduces anxieties. Remember stress and emotional problems are two of the biggest factors in causing insomnia. But proper, regular exercise will improve your state of mind as well as the body. These endorphins produce a feeling of well being which will make falling asleep much simpler and keep you longer in a state of deep sleep, so you will know longer wake up many times during the night.

Keeping schedules of exercise and your bedtime are also major contributors to help against the fight against insomnia. By exercising at the same times every day and going to sleep at the same times every night, your body will become accustomed to keeping this schedule. Seniors may also find it beneficial to make their bedtime later and their awakening earlier, this will help in the quality of sleep that they receive at night. Quality is much more important than quantity.

Seniors will find that they will have much less need for sleep during the day if they keep on a regular exercise schedule and get that nice, restful sleep at night.

Miranda Thompsen is a staff writer at http://www.retirementplanningdigest.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including http://www.aging-guide.com.