Exercise to improve sleep with Dr. Shawn Youngstedt

Masters in Exercise

In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Shawn Youngstedt. Dr. Youngstedt is a Professor in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University. We talk about the interaction between, exercise and sleep, seemingly two very different human activities. We first talk about the evidence supporting the role that exercise can have on sleep quality and sleep architecture. We also discuss which type of exercise is the best to improve sleep and how aspects such as the timing of exercise in relation to when we go to sleep can influence the effects. We also discuss how exercise can restart our circadian clock and about the disruptive effects of sleep restriction on exercise and the effects of sleep deprivation on brain plasticity and cognition. I was really looking forward to speaking with him about the fascinating interactions between sleep, exercise and cognition. You can follow Dr. Youngstedt research at https://nursingandhealth.asu.edu/content/shawn-youngstedt