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Scientists have found that daily exercise helps you sleep better
Last reviewed: 15.07.2025
A new study from the University of Texas at Austin shows that engaging in more physical activity — ideally every day — can improve sleep quality, especially the deep, restorative sleep that promotes better mood and mental health.
A study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health analyzed data from University of Texas students who wore Fitbits for several months. Unlike earlier studies that focused on total exercise time, this study looked at how much frequency mattered.
“We wanted to understand whether it mattered whether people spread their physical activity out over the week or did it all at once, like a ‘weekend warrior,’” said Benjamin Baird, an assistant research professor of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. “And for sleep health, frequency does seem to matter.”
Chris Corral, who recently earned a master's degree in health behavior and education from UT and co-led the study, noted that the work builds on earlier findings linking physical activity to deep, non-REM sleep. It's during this deep sleep, particularly early in the night, that the body does most of its physical and mental repair.
Participants who were more physically active got more restorative sleep. “That’s exactly what you want,” Baird said. Surprisingly, just 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day was enough to impact the sleep of the young adults in the study.
The researchers defined moderate to vigorous activity as that which increases breathing but still allows a person to hold a conversation — about a 6 out of 10 on the effort scale. Even light movement, such as regular walks or standing breaks, was linked to improved sleep quality and a boost in mood the next day.
Participants who were physically active more often also reported greater alertness and lower stress levels. “We found that more non-REM sleep was associated with better mood and energy the next day,” Baird said.
Scientific research and personal experience have long shown that regular physical activity leads to better sleep, and that good sleep leads to an overall improvement in well-being. But until now, most of the research has been conducted in lab settings and has looked at short-term effects, often after just one night.
What sets this study apart is its innovative use of wearable technology. By comparing participants’ activity and sleep patterns over several months, the researchers gained a much more complete picture of how daily habits impact sleep and mood over time.
The findings are part of the Whole Communities—Whole Health research initiative, which takes a multidisciplinary, community-based approach to studying health and well-being. The research team is preparing to test whether these findings hold up in a broader population as part of the Whole Communities—Whole Health five-year cohort study.
Corral pointed out that while current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend 150 minutes of physical activity per week, they don't specify how to distribute that time.
"Our results suggest that moving daily may be better for sleep than doing your entire quota over the weekend," he said.
If future research confirms these findings in a broader population, including people of different ages and physical activity levels, it could lead to updated public health recommendations.
"Current recommendations do not take into account the importance of exercise frequency for sleep health," Baird said. "Having this data allows us to consider whether they should be reconsidered."
Beyond sleep, the implications of these results may be broader.
“During sleep, the brain stores memories, clears out waste, and reboots,” Corral explained. “Better sleep means a healthier brain and possibly a lower risk of chronic disease and depression.”
Ultimately, the main takeaway is simple: Daily movement, even in small doses, can make a big difference.
“You don’t have to run marathons,” Corral said. “Just move a little bit every day. Light activity counts. It’s better to do something than nothing.”