The Health and Fitness blog talks about a New York Times article that tries to debunk the myth that you should not exercise directly before sleeping.
I was unaware of this myth, because I almost always sleep better on a day that I exercise. If I am exercising regularly, I tend to fall asleep faster and easier than when I am not. It does not usually matter when I exercise; my personal preference is early in the morning after a light breakfast, followed by a heavier breakfast. In the afternoon or evening just before dinner is probably my second favorite time to work out. Now and again, I will work out right before going to bed. On occasion, I have gone out for a short run when I couldn’t sleep anyway.
The biggest reason that I was surprised that this seems to be a widely held myth (at least according to the New York Times) was because I always sleep much better after a romp, and that is definately a form of exercise.
I suspect the myth has more to do with the things people eat after exercise, rather than the exercise itself. Personally, I’ve never had trouble sleeping after a late session.