Which activity is best avoided within 2 hours of bedtime due to sleep disruption?

Which activity is best avoided within 2 hours of bedtime due to sleep disruption?

• A. Exercising within 2 hours of bedtime
• B. Reading a book
• C. Listening to calming music
• D. Taking a warm bath

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that pre-sleep routines should minimize physiological arousal. Vigorous exercise within two hours of bedtime raises heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, and core body temperature, all of which keep the body in a wakeful state and can delay falling asleep or reduce sleep quality. Because the goal of bedtime is to cue the body for sleep, this level of arousal makes exercising within the two-hour window the least favorable option. Reading a book is usually a quiet, low-arousal activity and is unlikely to disrupt sleep unless the material is especially exciting or stressful. Listening to calming music tends to lower arousal and promote relaxation, which can help you drift off more easily. Taking a warm bath can actually aid sleep through a thermoregulatory effect: the subsequent cooling after the bath signals sleepiness and can improve sleep onset. Thus, while a bath is not guaranteed to disrupt sleep and can be helpful when timed well, vigorous exercise stands out as the activity most likely to interfere with sleep if done close to bedtime.

The main idea is that pre-sleep routines should minimize physiological arousal. Vigorous exercise within two hours of bedtime raises heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, and core body temperature, all of which keep the body in a wakeful state and can delay falling asleep or reduce sleep quality. Because the goal of bedtime is to cue the body for sleep, this level of arousal makes exercising within the two-hour window the least favorable option.

Reading a book is usually a quiet, low-arousal activity and is unlikely to disrupt sleep unless the material is especially exciting or stressful. Listening to calming music tends to lower arousal and promote relaxation, which can help you drift off more easily. Taking a warm bath can actually aid sleep through a thermoregulatory effect: the subsequent cooling after the bath signals sleepiness and can improve sleep onset. Thus, while a bath is not guaranteed to disrupt sleep and can be helpful when timed well, vigorous exercise stands out as the activity most likely to interfere with sleep if done close to bedtime.