Should You Work Out After a Bad Night of Sleep? (Here’s the Truth)
Let me be really clear about this:
If you’re sleep deprived, you shouldn’t be exercising.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t move your body. You absolutely should. Movement is medicine. But exercising with the intent of improving your body—getting stronger, faster, leaner, or more skilled? That’s a mistake when you’re running on empty.
Here’s Why
Exercise doesn’t make you stronger.
Recovery makes you stronger.
You don’t get fitter while lifting weights. You get fitter while sleeping after lifting weights.
Same with skill work. I could teach you how to type with your left hand today, and you might get a little better after some practice. But if you go home and sleep tonight, you’ll come back tomorrow and be noticeably better—without touching a keyboard. That’s how learning and recovery happen: during sleep.
In fact, even a nap after training will improve your performance later in the day. Sleep is that powerful. It’s when your nervous system rewires itself. It’s when your muscles rebuild. It’s when inflammation calms down and your hormones regulate.
And without that?
You’re just digging yourself into a deeper hole.
“But I Thought Exercise Helps You Bounce Back from Poor Sleep?”
Well, here’s where people get confused.
Light activity—like walking, Zone 2 cardio, mobility work, or even a few minutes in the sun—can absolutely help mitigate some of the damage from a rough night. It improves glucose sensitivity, mitochondrial function, and energy levels.
But that’s not the same thing as a workout.
I don’t care what that 24-year-old fitness influencer on TikTok said.
Yes, there’s a study showing that healthy young adults could still mount a glucose response to exercise after sleep loss. Shocker. They’re 24. Their mitochondria still bounce back like a trampoline.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
I’ve done SEAL training. I’ve gone a full week without sleep. I survived it.
You know what I didn’t do afterward?
Hit a PR deadlift.
You cannot out-train poor sleep. And you can’t recover from something you haven’t recovered from yet.
So What Should You Do Instead?
If you’re coming off a short or disrupted night—because of work, kids, stress, whatever—opt for activity, not intensity.
Go for a walk.
Do some easy yoga.
Get outside and move.
Maybe even do some light skill work if it’s part of your routine.
But skip the sparring, the CrossFit WOD, the heavy squats, the long run, or anything that might trash your system further.
Sleep debt is real. And so is injury risk.
There’s a clear correlation between sleep deprivation and getting hurt. Reaction time slows. Coordination drops. Muscles don’t fire as well. You’re just asking for trouble.
Train Smarter, Sleep First
Look—I get it. You’re driven. You’re disciplined. You don’t like skipping workouts.
But here’s the truth:
“If you didn’t sleep last night, why are you gonna hurt yourself again today?”
Rest, recover, and come back stronger tomorrow.
That’s how real progress works.
Sleep Remedy
CAPSULES
Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy is a natural sleep aid, formulated with a blend of calming nutrients to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. Doctor-developed and recommended, it’s non-habit forming and safe for daily use.