Exercise Is Worse Than Caffeine!

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thickerella
thickerella Posts: 154 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have not been getting enough sleep lately. I can't seem to close my eyes before 12 sometimes even 1-2am....but it is only on the days I work out! It doesn't seem to matter WHEN I work out. Whether it is before lunch or after dinner or morning. If I work out that day I feel antsy and restless when I should be going to bed. It's exactly like the feeling I get if I drink a cup of coffee or drink a soda after 4. I have to get up at 6am and I need my sleep!

I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.

What to do?
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Replies

  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    You're going to have to try to workout earlier. Maybe workout in the morning before work if you can.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Do you cool down?

    Meditation is great to still your mind

    Take 30 mins before bed to chill out with no screens, perhaps a hot bath with lavender oils, a hot milk
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    Push your workouts harder. Progressive overload time for OP.
  • sangster19
    sangster19 Posts: 5 Member
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    Are you working out in the evenings? I have found on nights that I run or lift I have to come down for about 3-4 hours post workout before sleep is an option, but when I do sleep then, it's a holy righteous slumber.

    One thing that may help is to track your sleep at wake up naturally. I use Sleepcycle. Great app. It rests on your bed and wakes you up during your lighter sleep phase
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Funny that by the time ive finished mine then I am normally cream crackered, go home eat dinner and go to sleep.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Workout in the morning only. And take Melatonin 2 hours before you want to be asleep.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Workout so hard your asleep before your head hits the pillow!

    I've gone through spells where my energy levels were through the roof. After a late night soccer game I'm usually bouncing off the walls. A hot epsom salt bath can help bring me down. I also find that if I do get limited sleep one night (5-6 hrs) due to a hard time falling asleep. I wake up feeling fine and just hit the pillow earlier the next night and it balances out fine. I average 8hrs a night and take it pretty seriously too ;)
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    What kind of workout? I find cardio wakes me up a bit, but yoga or moderate strength training can chill me out nicely.

    Move the types of exercise that you personally find invigorating to the morning, and move the other stuff to the evening.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,715 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Do you cool down?

    Meditation is great to still your mind

    Take 30 mins before bed to chill out with no screens, perhaps a hot bath with lavender oils, a hot milk

    I'm all for natural remedies, so I agree with these suggestions. Also, maybe try light yoga-type stretching in a quiet place for 10 - 15 min. The important thing is to create a bedtime routine, much like you would a baby, and train your body and mind to go along with it. It can be done!
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    Push your workouts harder. Progressive overload time for OP.

    Is that why I find I can pass out in bed right after I get back from the gym?? lol

  • ncscott11
    ncscott11 Posts: 100 Member
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    Stretch. I find when I'm restless before bed if I do some really good stretching it seems to help it.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I agree with many of the natural suggestions... a hot shower before bed, stretching/foam rolling, reading...
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    And I'll throw the BS flag. It's all in your head. Even if it's real, which it probably isn't, the easy fix is to take something to make you drowsy. Zzzquil sleep aid, a Benedryl or store brand equivalent (this has exactly the same ingredients as a sleeping pill BTW, they just label sleeping pills as sleep aids to charge more), or a glass of wine would all be good solutions.

    Alcohol is a poor choice because it messes with sleep architecture.

    I would definitely say look at developing a nice sleep routine that you follow every night, things like a bath, stretching, turning off computer and phone, having herbal tea (e.g., chamomile), prayer, reading something not too engrossing, cuddling, etc.

    Give yourself that 30-60 minutes to wind down and see if that helps. Definitely no exercise 3-4 hours before your desired bedtime. And then try not to worry so much about whether or not you fall asleep exactly on time. Just go to bed when you are feeling sleepy and enjoy laying in bed and having some quiet time. If you realize you aren't ready to fall asleep get back up and do some nice, restful things until you feel sleepy again.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,011 Member
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    work out more. :)
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    Take a melatonin tablet about 1-2 hours before bed.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    edited December 2014
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    About 3 or 4 nights a week I work out around 9pm and finish up around 10pm. I always take a super hot shower afterwards and drink a hot cup of tea to unwind. I'm usually out by 11:30-12am. I get up around 6am everyday. I sleep like the dead on these nights.

    On the nights I don't work out, I'm in bed by 10pm but tend to wake up a million times. That's bad because my favorite cure for insomnia is baking. Made some bangin' good cookies last week...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    it is not working out, it is something else …

    you either have some kind of insomnia, too much on your mind, etc ….

  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    thickerella wrote: »
    I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.

    What to do?

    Is there a pattern to your days off? Are those non work days? There may be something else associated that is leading you to feel restless. Also, being exhausted is different than being sleepy.. you may be attempting to go to bed when you are exhausted but not sleepy which isn't going to work well. Really pay attention and try to limit going to bed to when you are sleepy.

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