A recent survey found that hosts lost 2.5 hours of sleep per day during the holidays. With the stress and hecticness of the holiday season, many forget the importance of timing exercise correctly for protecting sleep. Dr. Anne Marie Morse, a double board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, says the most overlooked tool for protecting sleep during the holidays is exercise, if you time it right. I chatted with Dr. Morse to discover four quick, science-backed tips for timing your exercise right to stay on a sleep schedule throughout the holiday season. Here’s what she shared.
Morning workouts for daytime alertness and better sleep
“The holidays are essentially a ‘perfect storm’ for sleep disruption—late parties, alcohol, rich food, and travel,” says Dr. Morse. A morning workout acts as a physiological anchor. When you commit to moving first thing in the morning, you are essentially “paying yourself first” before the chaos of family obligations or travel plans takes over. It ensures the workout actually happens, reducing stress. Still, more importantly, it sets the tone for your circadian rhythm right out of the gate, helping you stay synchronized even when your bedtime might be fluctuating due to social events.
Dr. Morse recommends starting with what she calls “movement snacks”. This involves committing to just 10 minutes of movement within 30. minutes of waking up, such as stretching, a quick walk around the block, or doing some jumping jacks.
“Don’t try to go from sleeping in until 8:00 AM to running a marathon at 5:00 AM—that’s a recipe for failure. Also, remove the friction: lay your workout clothes out the night before. When the neurological barrier of ‘decision making’ is removed in the groggy morning hours, you’re much more likely to execute the habit,” she shares.
Avoiding intense exercise before bed
Dr. Morse also recommends avoiding intense exercise within 2–3 hours of bedtime, as it spikes adrenaline and core body temperature. To initiate sleep, your core body temperature needs to drop by about 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit. High-intensity exercise does the exact opposite—it acts as a furnace. Furthermore, intense cardio or heavy lifting activates the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” response), flooding your system with adrenaline and cortisol. You end up lying in bed ‘wired and tired’—your muscles are exhausted, but your brain and heart rate are still racing, making it physiologically difficult to transition into sleep onset,” she shares.
For holiday hosts and travelers, avoiding exercise 2 to 3 hours before bed isn’t always possible. “Real life happens. If 8:00 PM is the only time you have, you don’t have to skip it, but you do need to modify it,” she says.” Lower the intensity—swap the HIIT class for steady-state cardio or weights with more extended rest periods.”
Small daily movements for consistency
When traveling for the holidays, Dr. Morse says consistency beats intensity, as small daily movements can help to stabilize your body clock. “The brain craves predictability. Our circadian rhythms thrive on routine. Irregular high-intensity bursts can confuse the body clock, whereas consistent, daily movement reinforces the rhythm of your 24-hour cycle,” she shares.
During travel, the body’s internal clock can become out of sync (jet lag), but exercise can be a powerful tool to fast-forward or rewind that clock. Her recommendation: Move your body at the same relative time in your new destination, preferably in the morning light, to help your internal biology align with the new time zone faster and reduce “brain fog” and sleep fragmentation associated with travel.
“Small daily movements don’t need to include a visit to the gym. Still, they can also include activities like a brisk walk while doing holiday shopping, taking the stairs at the airport, or suggesting a family walk after the big meal instead of a nap. These accumulate to keep the sleep drive healthy without requiring a 60-minute block of time you don’t have,” she says.
Track what feels the best
Throughout the holiday season, don’t forget to listen to your body’s latency and quality signals. “For example, if you exercise at night and find yourself staring at the ceiling for 45 minutes (prolonged sleep latency), that’s a red flag,” she warns. “Conversely, if you wake up feeling unrefreshed or groggy despite getting ‘enough’ hours, your late workout might be reducing your REM or deep sleep stages. The goal is to fall asleep within 15-20 minutes and wake up feeling recharged. The key is to notice how the timing of your workouts impacts your energy and sleep quality.”
Dr. Morse also stresses the importance of keeping things simple and not over-complicating exercise during this busy time of year. “Keep a notepad next to bed or keep notes in your phone and set a reminder every day to jot down three things: What time did I exercise? How energized did I feel at 3:00 PM? How easy was it to fall asleep? After a week, look for the correlation. You might notice, ‘On days I walked at 7:00 AM, I didn’t need a second coffee, and I fell asleep instantly.’ That is your personalized data set,” she shares.
