Fitness affected by Insomnia

desidieter

Hi All,

I have been suffering from insomnia on an off for years. Most of it is depression-related.

A few months ago, I decided I needed to make some significant lifestyle changes in hopes of it helping the depression that was creeping back into my life. So that's what brought me back to MFP and got me to start watching what I eat (mainly for health reasons...the weight loss is just a bonus) and exercising again. For a while, things were going fine. I found that exercising regularly and investing my energy in healthful eating/living helped me combat my depression and insomnia.

But then, for the last couple of weeks, things have been steadily declining again. I'm doing okay as far as food goes (on most days, anyway), but because I'm back to not sleeping well at night, I find it really difficult to exercise. Some nights, I'm getting as little as two hours of sleep. I take naps during the day sometimes, but overall, I never feel rested.

So I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone have suggestions that are not drug-based for dealing with insomnia? I've tried a few natural sleep aids, and they've been pretty hit or miss. My problem is that I can't relax enough to fall asleep at night. My brain just won't shut up. I find myself lying in bed, feeling anxious and thinking about all the stress that's in my life. While I'm able to sort of distract myself with other things during the day, it gets really bad at night when it's quiet and I'm alone in bed. I'm not totally against drug-based treatments, per say, but I just would like to try out any and all other options before I resort to that.

2. For those of you who have suffered with insomnia, how has it affected your workout regimen? Did you just temporarily stop exercising? Or did you change your routine to something lighter? I've gone from exercising 6x/week to maybe once a week, and even that is a struggle, because I can barely make it through my workouts. I know it's important to listen to my body, so I don't want to push myself to the point where I'll end up doing more damage, but I hate not being able to exercise regularly due to this constant fatigue.

Thanks, everyone. I look forward to hearing from others who have dealt with this and might have some suggestions for me.

joanthemom8

I have a kind of insomnia, too. I can fall asleep fine - because I'm usually dead tired, but I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. Many times I'm awake for over an hour or two.
That is how I got started with exercising so early in the morning. I'd wake up, be unable to go back to sleep (around 4 a.m.), get up and drink coffee, eat cookies and watch the news and get more depressed. Finally I decided to use that time to go to the gym. I've been doing that for almost 3 years now.
I still have many nights where I wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning and can't go back to sleep. My heart is pounding, my mind races. I think it's just a part of my genetic make-up. I do have an RX for Ambien, but I hardly ever take it... only if I've had a few bad nights in a row.
My advice to you would be: 1) no alcohol before bed (this helps me); don't exercise too late in the day or before bedtime; no caffeine after I'd say 3 or 4 p.m. On of the things that really helps me is reading right before I go to sleep. I get all tucked in and start to read until I start to drowse off. That has helped me fall asleep every night.
Good luck to you.... I think sleep deprivation is one of the worse feelings.....

desidieter

Insomnia sucks! Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions.

I do try to only drink coffee/caffeine earlier in the day. And I don't really drink alcohol much anyway, except occasionally on weekends if I'm out with people. But I haven't done that in a long time, so that hasn't been an issue lately. Yes, I do read before bed, or journal to try to clear my head, but honestly, it usually just riles me up more, so I've stopped doing that lately.

Fit_Lean_Priya

following
last night i slept at 9:30, woke up at 2:30 and could sleep at 5
had to miss my morning workout

hate when sleep troubles effects my day activities

CherryChan81

i've been insonmia-ing for 5 days now... :explode: waking up every 2 hours or so... it's terrible... :yawn:

ew_david

I've heard/read to cut out anything with a screen (phone, laptop, etc) about 30 minutes before bed. Reading helps a little bit, but I'm really in the same boat. Exhausted all day, but the second I put the kids to bed my brain is all "PARRRRRTY TIME!!!" and I can't sleep. On the nights I'm able to fall asleep, I have a hard time staying asleep. Every night is different and I never know what I'm going to get on any given night.

As for my workouts, I've kind of adapted. I've been having this issue for about a year. Some days I'm fine and get through my workouts no problem. Other days, I still give it a shot, but it's subpar. And there are rare days when I skip it entirely.

I'm really no help, but I hope you can find a way to get some Zzzzs soon!

47Jacqueline

I suffer from insomnia, but I am not depressed. I think it does affect my weight though. I find I've been showing an increase in weight even though I'm usually at about 2000kcal a day and that's a deficit intake. I believe it's water retention from lack of sleep. Today, I finally showed a pound loss. I'm at maintenance, so it's weird. My clothes still fit and are even loose.

I don't want to take anything, so I've been experimenting with wholistic approaches and I take naps during the day. I've had some luck in turning over and going back to sleep when I wake up and have had a full night's sleep twice in the last two week (woo woo!),
but as a rule I'm up at around 4am.

I'm no help either. ;-) All I can say is keep trying.

desidieter

I mean, I know that my root problem isn't just insomnia but the fact that I'm facing depression. And I'm taking steps to deal with that (slowly...), but I guess I was just curious to see if anyone else on this site had found effective ways to keep up with exercise while suffering from insomnia, especially when the insomnia is an ongoing thing and not just an occasional issue. :yawn:

giggitygoo

I have pretty severe insomnia, also depression related. It does impact my workouts pretty severely, but I try to push through anyway.

It comes and goes in cycles, but I have found that keeping consistent with my exercise helps me get those few precious minutes of sleep. Yoga and meditation has also really helped me calm my mind and get a little more sleep than usual.

I wish I had more to offer, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread to read others' advice.

EDIT** I don't try new lifts or anything without a spotter when I'm sleep deprived.

Maleficent0241

It's backwards for me and I can't vouch for quality of sleep (I have not had a sleep study), but I honestly fall asleep faster and easier when the TV is on. I also cannot turn off thoughts a lot, and while that isn't the main reason for the insomnia, listening to old sitcoms as I fall asleep helps as it focuses my mind on just one thing instead of my mind racing with a bunch of different thoughts (I watch shows I have seen before so I don't get kept up by a new storyline). I'll put it on sleep, sometimes even just the receiver and leave the screen off (so I have the sound only), close my eyes, and relax.

As far as exercise, I lower the intensity and/or duration when I am going through a bad bout of insomnia but don't skip. I feel like it makes it worse over time, as getting out of my normal routine can lead to a downward spiral where I want to rest/nap during the day and not sleep at night.

VelveteenArabian

When you're lying in bed worrying and overthinking, pick ONE thing that is NOT a stressful thing (your favorite place or a solid color is good). Focus only on that one thing (I like thinking about the color black, because it's all sleepy-like). When your brain starts thinking about other stuff, stop, and think about that one thing you picked. You have to train your brain to focus and to shut off. Even if it doesn't make you fall asleep, it will redirect the worrisome thoughts.

heybales

Just so you are aware, insomnia is also a sign of overtraining.

I mention that because you said it was getting better and then starting getting worse.

Now, overtraining doesn't mean you are literally doing too much, but you aren't recovering enough for whatever level you are doing, and body is stressed.

What slows down recovery?

Lack of food. Well, and lack of sleep, but you were getting enough before it got worse again.

Make sure you aren't taking or causing a bigger than reasonable deficit. That'll just stress the body.

Now lack of sleep is going to stress the body too if same exercise duration and intensity is kept up. So be very careful.

Stress of too much exercise and stress of how big your diet is are perhaps the only 2 things totally in your control, all the other life stresses that can add to that making the situation worse may be totally out of your control.

runningforthetrain

Hi I have had problems with both depression and insomnia, not necessarily at the same time. Insomnia is just all the time and ever since I can remember. I take Benadryl nightly and my MD is ok with it; I have never increased the dose. Sometimes I'll take something else- valium or muscle relaxant-though rarely. When I was a young teen (many years ago) I suffered with a bout of depression with insomnia and was prescribed Ambien for a short time just to get some relief. I have never taken it since. I was told at the time it was not a medicine to take regularly- don't know if MDs are so stringent about the Ambien now. If you can avoid that, I would.

A few things that I have found through the years that help:

1 Get as much exercise as possible- I find hiking and walking really can tire you out if you have the time. Physically tired can translate to mind tired.

2. Yoga has done wonders for me in terms of calming my mind-- it doesn't always last until sleep time. But, I am convinced if regularly practiced ('m still working on it) it can do wonders.

3. This is a big one for me. NO MATTER WHAT don't look at the clock. If you need to get up at a certain time set an alarm. The reason for this is the anxiety is self- perpetuating. You say "Oh my god its 3AM and I am still not asleep. I have to get up at 7 that ..um only 4 hours, etc. etc. Don't look at the clock.

4. No caffeine after 3pm.

5. Make sure it is cool in your room- the cooler the better.

6. Darkness- no lights especially blue ones.

7. Breathing exercises. I'm sure you can find some on the net. Concentrate on long slow breaths in and out.

You mentioned you tried journaling but, that seems to get your brain going. I list out things I need to get done the next day and consciously "let it go". So I don't know if that will work for you. I imagine if you are journaling thought processes rather than strict get this or that done- there may be a difference in the effect.

You get my complete compassion. I hope some of these suggestions can help you.

hearthwood

Hi All,

I have been suffering from insomnia on an off for years. Most of it is depression-related.

A few months ago, I decided I needed to make some significant lifestyle changes in hopes of it helping the depression that was creeping back into my life. So that's what brought me back to MFP and got me to start watching what I eat (mainly for health reasons...the weight loss is just a bonus) and exercising again. For a while, things were going fine. I found that exercising regularly and investing my energy in healthful eating/living helped me combat my depression and insomnia.

But then, for the last couple of weeks, things have been steadily declining again. I'm doing okay as far as food goes (on most days, anyway), but because I'm back to not sleeping well at night, I find it really difficult to exercise. Some nights, I'm getting as little as two hours of sleep. I take naps during the day sometimes, but overall, I never feel rested.

So I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone have suggestions that are not drug-based for dealing with insomnia? I've tried a few natural sleep aids, and they've been pretty hit or miss. My problem is that I can't relax enough to fall asleep at night. My brain just won't shut up. I find myself lying in bed, feeling anxious and thinking about all the stress that's in my life. While I'm able to sort of distract myself with other things during the day, it gets really bad at night when it's quiet and I'm alone in bed. I'm not totally against drug-based treatments, per say, but I just would like to try out any and all other options before I resort to that.

2. For those of you who have suffered with insomnia, how has it affected your workout regimen? Did you just temporarily stop exercising? Or did you change your routine to something lighter? I've gone from exercising 6x/week to maybe once a week, and even that is a struggle, because I can barely make it through my workouts. I know it's important to listen to my body, so I don't want to push myself to the point where I'll end up doing more damage, but I hate not being able to exercise regularly due to this constant fatigue.

Thanks, everyone. I look forward to hearing from others who have dealt with this and might have some suggestions for me.

A good book every night, one that's hard to put down, with a warm cup of low calorie Swiss Miss hot coco. While most of us take daily worries to bed with us, and many suffer from insomnia, there's nothing like a great book, that interferes with that thought process and allows you to get a good nights sleep, than reading.

MN4US

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/sleep.htm

Really helped me understand what was going on.. My sleep has significantly improved, not perfect, but better.

ETA: Echoes a LOT of what Runningforthetrain has said.

desidieter

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice and input! I have a lot to think about and consider, and it's great to know that I'm not the only person who's had to deal with this.

Just so you are aware, insomnia is also a sign of overtraining.

I mention that because you said it was getting better and then starting getting worse.

Now, overtraining doesn't mean you are literally doing too much, but you aren't recovering enough for whatever level you are doing, and body is stressed.

What slows down recovery?

Lack of food. Well, and lack of sleep, but you were getting enough before it got worse again.

Make sure you aren't taking or causing a bigger than reasonable deficit. That'll just stress the body.

Now lack of sleep is going to stress the body too if same exercise duration and intensity is kept up. So be very careful.

Stress of too much exercise and stress of how big your diet is are perhaps the only 2 things totally in your control, all the other life stresses that can add to that making the situation worse may be totally out of your control.

These are all really good points. Thanks for bringing that up. I don't think I was overtraining, but who knows. Actually, when I was exercising more, my insomnia was better in check. Until all of a sudden it wasn't. And I hadn't made any significant changes to my workout routine or anything. But I will definitely consider this advice, as I really hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it.

I think the root of my issue is that I'm facing situational depression and can't seem to change my situation, despite my continued efforts to do so. There are outside factors that are contributing to my current situation, so I end up in a panic and feeling helpless a lot of the time, since I can't change things. But you're right about me being able to control my food and exercise.

Hi I have had problems with both depression and insomnia, not necessarily at the same time. Insomnia is just all the time and ever since I can remember. I take Benadryl nightly and my MD is ok with it; I have never increased the dose. Sometimes I'll take something else- valium or muscle relaxant-though rarely. When I was a young teen (many years ago) I suffered with a bout of depression with insomnia and was prescribed Ambien for a short time just to get some relief. I have never taken it since. I was told at the time it was not a medicine to take regularly- don't know if MDs are so stringent about the Ambien now. If you can avoid that, I would.

A few things that I have found through the years that help:

1 Get as much exercise as possible- I find hiking and walking really can tire you out if you have the time. Physically tired can translate to mind tired.

2. Yoga has done wonders for me in terms of calming my mind-- it doesn't always last until sleep time. But, I am convinced if regularly practiced ('m still working on it) it can do wonders.

3. This is a big one for me. NO MATTER WHAT don't look at the clock. If you need to get up at a certain time set an alarm. The reason for this is the anxiety is self- perpetuating. You say "Oh my god its 3AM and I am still not asleep. I have to get up at 7 that ..um only 4 hours, etc. etc. Don't look at the clock.

4. No caffeine after 3pm.

5. Make sure it is cool in your room- the cooler the better.

6. Darkness- no lights especially blue ones.

7. Breathing exercises. I'm sure you can find some on the net. Concentrate on long slow breaths in and out.

You mentioned you tried journaling but, that seems to get your brain going. I list out things I need to get done the next day and consciously "let it go". So I don't know if that will work for you. I imagine if you are journaling thought processes rather than strict get this or that done- there may be a difference in the effect.

You get my complete compassion. I hope some of these suggestions can help you.

This is great information and definitely helpful! Thank you so much your thoughts and compassion.

As far as journaling goes...like I said, my stress isn't really to-do related. It's more like, 'here are all these problems that I seem to not be able to overcome, despite what I do.' They're situation-related stresses brought on by outside factors that aren't in my control. So I don't know if making lists will necessarily help me. I wish my stress were just to-do related! I know how to handle that type of stress, lol. But yeah, otherwise, I think a lot of this is really helpful information. I will consider and try to implement the things that I'm not already doing and see how it goes. Thanks again!

dbmata

I have insomnia issues.

Working out with extreme intensity, which I am apt to do, does not do anything for it. Some physical things that have helped:

Alpine climbing... something about hiking for a few hours at altitude with 40 to 50 pounds of gear on my back is tiring. Who knew.
That's about it.

I tend to use Benadryl when it gets too bad and I NEEEED to sleep. Or beer. Three beers and I can sleep most of a night.

As for affecting my fitness? Naw, I suck it up and work hard, with the silly hope that it will eventually tucker me out so hard that I'll just enter a coma.

desidieter

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/sleep.htm

Really helped me understand what was going on.. My sleep has significantly improved, not perfect, but better.

ETA: Echoes a LOT of what Runningforthetrain has said.

Just read through this. AWESOME information! Thanks for sharing! I will certainly try to implement some of these practices into my routine.

Kevalicious99

I know all about depression .. suffered for more than 30 years. However a year ago there was a change.

I stopped my anti-depressants, and noticed I had insomnia. It was being treated by my anti-depressant and I slept like a baby.

So now, I do not need those anti-depressants except a small dose to fight the insomnia.

I am sleeping much better now compared to just months ago .. and answer, spin class. When you are tired at the end of the day .. you sleep better.

kefryar

There are a TON of apps I've found that work-silva relax, relax with andrew johnson, and breathe2relax. They help me kind of stop thinking. I have noticed a definite difference with the amt of time it takes me to fall asleep w/ meditation vs without. Also, there are a lot of nightime yoga routines that you can do (some in bed) that help a lot too!

heybales

Just so you are aware, insomnia is also a sign of overtraining.

I mention that because you said it was getting better and then starting getting worse.

Now, overtraining doesn't mean you are literally doing too much, but you aren't recovering enough for whatever level you are doing, and body is stressed.

What slows down recovery?

Lack of food. Well, and lack of sleep, but you were getting enough before it got worse again.

Make sure you aren't taking or causing a bigger than reasonable deficit. That'll just stress the body.

Now lack of sleep is going to stress the body too if same exercise duration and intensity is kept up. So be very careful.

Stress of too much exercise and stress of how big your diet is are perhaps the only 2 things totally in your control, all the other life stresses that can add to that making the situation worse may be totally out of your control.

These are all really good points. Thanks for bringing that up. I don't think I was overtraining, but who knows. Actually, when I was exercising more, my insomnia was better in check. Until all of a sudden it wasn't. And I hadn't made any significant changes to my workout routine or anything. But I will definitely consider this advice, as I really hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it.

Only to emphasis because I think my point was missed.

Someone who is ONLY walking can end up overtraining - because they don't eat enough for their level of activity.

You mentioned you had your food under control in earlier post - how much deficit are you taking?
It is reasonable for amount to lose, or that will cause additional body stress because it's a lot?
Are you making it bigger by lots of exercise but not eating back those calories to keep the deficit the same?

And much like a vitamin or mineral deficiency can take a while to actually show up in symptoms, a calorie deficiency beyond what the body can support can take a while to show up, but a lot of other stresses like lots of exercise can make it happen faster.

And that is a 2nd possibility too, vitamin or mineral deficiency. If diet is too extreme, that's easier to cause, and may have one anyway, even outside of new lifestyle.
Had blood tests to confirm levels of important things are in range? And even a bunch of things being on the outside range of acceptable isn't good either.