I tried a three-minute sleep hack for a week – it sorted out my back pain

Being the mother of a seven-year-old with complex needs, I struggle to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll try anything to get a little more sleep, even if it means stuffing my pillow with lavender or taking CBD throughout the day. I was eager to give it a shot when I came across a recent study that showed that performing three minutes of lower body workouts every 30 minutes in the evening could result in an extra 30 minutes of sleep.

I worked out six days a week for two hours every day before my baby was born. Walking the dog is the only exercise I get to do these days. Undoubtedly, leading an active lifestyle results in longer and more restorative sleep. However, might a tiny amount of activity really make a difference?

Over the course of four hours before bed, participants, aged 18 to 40, performed chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight leg hip extensions for 20 seconds each, every 30 minutes, according to researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Compared to individuals who stayed sitting throughout that time, this resulted in an average of an extra 27 minutes of sleep each night.

Easy! Or so I thought.

Day 1

My spouse was rather confused when my alarm went off every 30 minutes while we were watching TV and I hurriedly got my workouts done. However, I was off to a great start. I went to bed at midnight, feeling pleased of myself for only completing the bare minimum, and to my surprise, I slept through the entire night—something I don’t usually do. I normally get up once or twice. It’s difficult for me to say if I would have slept for an extra thirty minutes in the morning because I don’t have the luxury of sleeping till I wake up naturally, but I did note that I felt more rested than usual.

Day 2

I’ve already encountered a challenge, but it’s one I can conquer. Since my son’s bedtime was later than normal, I had to start the four-hour stretch while juggling other obligations. However, since the workouts are so basic, there wasn’t much of an issue. After completing all of the exercises, I was startled to discover that yesterday’s had actually caused my legs to hurt. It’s imperative that I start exercising.

I knew I would have a good night’s sleep when I went to bed at 11:30. Sadly, I was completely mistaken—I had no trouble falling asleep! Even though I was tired, my body and mind would not shut down. Was this anything the exercises were causing? I haven’t made any other changes to my routine, and there is some information that suggests exercising shortly before bed may have negative effects because it raises body temperature and cortisol levels. The little sleep I did get that night was awful.

Day 3

After last night, I didn’t want to continue. Perhaps I’m simply an oddball, and these activities will make my already terrible sleep pattern much worse. Still, I persevered on a mission, if a little less zealously than before. Fortunately, I was able to sleep this time, but by morning, I couldn’t tell if there had been any difference in duration or quality.

Day 4

I must admit that, at this point, I’m starting to feel a little bored with this. Like most people, I wish there was a simple, fast remedy that would give me daily energy, but thus far, there isn’t one. Perhaps it’s helping, but even so, a half-hour’s extra sleep is probably not going to cut into an exhausted mother’s severe sleep deprivation. Still hopeful, though, I persevere. If nothing else, I’m being forced to fit in some sort of mini-workout every day, and I’m finding that the exercises are getting progressively simpler. I felt tired even in the morning, and my sleep seemed normal tonight.

Day 5

Is it possible that sleeping early would be more beneficial than this? It’s true that numerous studies have demonstrated the advantages of an earlier bedtime and that night owls are more likely to suffer from psychological issues, respiratory ailments, and even pass away too soon! I surprised myself by sleeping really soundly after doing my exercises, even though I did it grudgingly this time. I had no trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up feeling refreshed. Perhaps I spoke too quickly?

Day 6

I think that over time, like other healthy habits, the results get better. Before they noticed any effect, the participants in the original study had to complete the exercises in two separate four-hour periods. But that was observed with sleep trackers, not merely based on the participants’ subjective perceptions. Maybe if I continue like this for a little while longer, the results will show more clearly. I had a decent night’s sleep tonight, waking up once (due to the dog) and getting attacked by my child at seven in the morning as usual.

Day 7

This is definitely only something that would help people who have the luxury of sleeping in, as the study found that sleep efficiency wasn’t significantly affected by the exercises (meaning participants didn’t seem to wake up more or less during the night), but the eventual length of sleep was (the time they wake up in the morning was, on average, 27 minutes later).

Results

I’d rather watch a movie without interruption, so I’m not sure I’m convinced on the idea of working out every 30 minutes for four hours every night. However, as a bonus, I’ve noticed that my back is less sore from standing and moving around more than from sitting for extended periods of time. Amazingly, I’ve also noticed a slight improvement in my strength and fitness levels. However, I believe that this is more of an encouragement to start jogging or going to the gym. And from now on, I’ll just focus on going to bed early.