Does exercising in the evening negatively affect sleep?

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Exercising in the evening (particularly high-intensity workouts that are performed 2 to 4 hours before bedtime) does not negatively affect sleep and may even enhance total sleep time and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. However, caution should be used with preworkout supplements that contain caffeine because they can disrupt sleep.

    While there is a general consensus that exercising in the morning or afternoon benefits sleep, it’s often recommended to avoid exercising, especially at a high intensity, in the evening in fear of it negatively affecting sleep.

    However, according to a meta-analysis published in 2021, an acute bout of high-intensity exercise performed 2–4 hours before bedtime does not disrupt sleep.[1] In fact, performing high-intensity exercise 2 hours before bedtime tends to increase total sleep time (+16 minutes) and decrease the time it takes to fall asleep (−5 minutes). However, longer duration high-intensity exercise (>30–60 minutes) may decrease rapid-eye movement sleep to a small extent (−3%).

    In a 7-week study in elite youth soccer players, an evening high-intensity exercise session did not affect sleep quality and slightly increased sleepiness at bedtime, compared to nights where no exercise was performed.[2]

    In sum, high-intensity evening exercise does not appear to negatively affect sleep. Careful consideration should be given to pre-workout supplements when exercising in the evening, as products containing caffeine can negatively affect sleep.