Workouts and insomnia

Good sleep is key to good health. But half of women in a newly published survey reported having insomnia. Caffeine and stress contribute to “bad sleep hygiene,” but here’s another little-known factor we can do something about.

Body temperature drops about one degree during sleep. Don’t work out too close to bedtime, says Raul Noriega, manager of the Comprehensive Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders Center at Baylor Regional Medical Center. He says it takes e hours to cool down enough to get drowsy. Avoid that temptation to check the clock when having trouble sleeping – because even minor exertion consumes energy, which raises the body’s temperature, further delaying sleep.