The 10-minute daily exercise routine to beat insomnia: Experts reveal, step by step, exactly what to do as study finds short bursts of activity can help you sleep more deeply

Gone are the days of a warm bath before bed, or popping a herbal sleeping pill - today's remedies for difficulty sleeping are plentiful and creative.Wellness gurus now advise all sorts of newfangled solutions like taping your mouth shut, wearing blue-light glasses or even sleeping in a freezing cold room to 'shock' the body into slumber.But according to a growing number of scientists, combating troubled sleep is far more simple. 'Just 10 minutes of exercise is enough,' says Brendon Stubbs, a professor of physical activity and mental health at King's College London. A short bout of physical activity can raise the body's heart rate and temperature and, as the body recovers and cools down, the brain is flooded with signals telling it to sleep, he adds. It's a theory supported by a US study published last year that found exercising for just 10 minutes a day can result in significantly more time in the most restorative stage of sleep - the type that makes you feel most refreshed the following day.But intriguingly, you don't have to sprint, lift weights, or even run. Here, top sleep experts explain exactly which exercises could result in the most restful night yet. Research published last year suggests as little as 10 minutes of daily exercise could help boost the amount of deep, non-REM sleep we getWalk after dinner...but make it briskThe 2025 study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity, found that the 10 minutes of exercise per day did not have to be intense.Instead, the scientists defined the level of activity as exercise that leaves you breathing harder than normal while still being able to hold a conversation.Prof Stubbs and Dr Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep scientist, agree that an easy win for beginners is to start with walking.'For anyone starting from scratch, a brisk ten-minute walk is hard to beat,' says Prof Stubbs.'Go gently for a couple of minutes, then pick up the pace until you're slightly out of breath and hold it there.'One way to do this is by doing a quick lap around the block.As well as getting some steps in, research shows that walking outdoors can also lower stress hormones, such as cortisol, which can negatively affect sleep.'A racing mind is one of the most common reasons people lie awake,' says Prof Stubbs.Use your kitchen as a mini gym You could feasibly do your evening exercise routine in the comfort of your own kitchen, says Prof Stubbs.He recommends a series of simple movements, beginning with repeatedly standing up from a sturdy chair and sitting down slowly for 45 to 60 seconds at a time.Next, do five press-ups against a kitchen worktop, followed by marching on the spot for a few minutes. 'Finish by punching forwards at shoulder height as fast as is comfortable, which you can do sitting down,' Prof Stubbs says.If you have stairs, walking up and down them at a steady pace for around a minute - even while holding the handrail - is a helpful addition.Jump on a bike at least an hour before bed Dr Bostock recommends a short cycle as part of the 10-minute target, which can be done either on an exercise bike or a bicycle.However, going outdoors - for example, by riding five minutes to the shop and five minutes back - may be best.'Exercise outside carries the added benefit of daytime light exposure, which is also important for supporting our body clocks,' she explains.Like cycling, Dr Bostock says any opportunity to 'move throughout the day' is worthwhile.But Prof Stubbs warns against some forms of exercise too late at night.'I'd only avoid a hard session in the hour before bed, which can leave you too wired to drop off,' he says.If you're fit, try lunges Fitter people may find more benefits from a circuit - a routine where you move between one intensive exercise to the next.'Do squats, reverse lunges and glute bridges, then step side to side with your arms going overhead, then shadow box,' says Prof Stubbs. 'That's 40 seconds of movement with 20 seconds of break between each exercise. Do this twice.'If doing this in 10 minutes feels like too much at once, the expert advises that it can be split up into three short bursts across the day. Dr Bostock stresses that a 10-minute workout is not a silver bullet, but adds: 'For anyone struggling with sleep, the message is that every little helps.'Find a form of movement you enjoy, make it manageable, and notice how you feel and function over time.'Prof Stubbs says: 'Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is the first-line treatment, and your GP can refer you.'If you have a heart condition or haven't been active for a long time, check with your GP before you start exercising.'