This Is The Best Time Of Day To Workout If You Want A Good Night's Sleep

I've always wanted to be the kind of person who's really into morning workouts.

I love waking up early, but TBH, it's breakfast that motivates me to get out of bed -- not burpees.

When some of my friends tell me they're going to a 6 a.m. SoulCycle, I chuckle, cringe, but also can't help having mad respect for them.

If they ask me to come... I just chuckle.

But would becoming a morning exercise enthusiast actually make me sleep more soundly at night? As someone who's often a restless "tosser and turner," I couldn't help but wonder.

According to The National Sleep Foundation, while there's no reliable evidence to suggest a greater calorie burn at certain times of the day, there is information that says your workout time does, indeed, affect your sleep.

Rising And Grinding At The Gym First Thing In The Morning Might Help You Hit The Hay Later On

According to Sleep.org, people who worked out at 7 a.m. slept longer, experienced deeper sleep cycles, and spent 75 percent more time in the most reparative stages of sleep (when compared to evening exercisers).

Oh, and even more of a reason to chug your coffee and get to cardio: improvement of your circadian rhythym.

Your circadian rhythm (you might know it as your "body clock") is a natural system in your body that's designed to regulate feelings of sleepiness and wakeful energy during a 24-hour period.

Apparently, if you ditch the gym and take your workout outdoors in the A.M., you can regulate your circadian rhythm.

That's right -- no more random 3 p.m. sleepy slump.

Despite all this talk of improved shut-eye, I'll admit I'm still a bit reluctant.

Can you blame me? Working out is hard enough, and morning motivation is even harder.

Elite Daily spoke with personal trainer Jordan Edwards to get her take on the real effectiveness of "rising and grinding."

She tells us,

[Morning workouts let] you use all your energy in the beginning of your day -- and then you can just come home and rest for the evening. You are more likely to have a better sleep that way, being by that point, you'll be exhausted, lactic acid kicks in from your morning workout, [and this leads to] a better sleep.

Edwards Says A Sunrise Workout Keeps Her Focused Throughout The Day

And it provides her body with a natural wakeup call.

Plus, she tells us that hormone levels are higher in the morning, providing more energy overall.

Oh, and for all you excuse-makers out there, morning workouts put the fitness portion of your day aside right off the bat, which means you're more likely not to miss your workout because of other tasks and responsibilities popping up later.

Believe me, I get it -- happy hour seems a lot more tempting than HIIT after a stressful day.

To solidify setting that early alarm, Edwards explains some of the negative impacts of nighttime exercise on sleep patterns:

[Evening workouts] arouse your body, and depending on if you take pre-workout or not, you'll be up for hours after the gym! [This makes it] so hard to fall asleep (or get a good night sleep), more than staying up really late and having to wake up for work in the morning, losing sleep.

Bottom line: You're not going to want to hit up SoulCycle at 7 p.m.

Looks like I'll be replacing my pancakes with side planks.

Well... not replacing. I'll sure as hell be having them after my sunrise sweat-sesh (with extra peanut butter).

But I'm willing to make some switches in exchange for a total bliss in my bed.