Post-All Nighter Gym Trip?

Centrifugal

I have terrible sleeping habits. I go to school nights, and in order to get my work done I generally need to do it after I get home from school, which is after 9:00 at night. By the time I'm done with everything and have had time to wind down at all, it's 5:00am and I know that if I go to bed I won't be going to the gym the next day since I'll sleep through the whole morning. Luckily, the gym opens at 5:00!

My question though, is this: Does going to the gym, then coming home and going right to bed actually make any difference in the long run? This is more in reference to cardio than strength training, but if it affects strength training too let me know. I've been told that going to the gym any time but at the beginning of my day is a bad idea, but just as many have told me that it doesn't matter. I'm more asking specifically about going to the gym and then going to sleep after getting home.

Also, I usually eat after coming home from the gym, but I am not fond of eating and then going right to sleep. Any particular dietary recommendations in terms of timing? I assume it's probably the best idea to just wait until I wake up in the early afternoon and eat brunch then, but I could easily be wrong.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

p.s. I'm not trying to lose weight, per se. Just get from kinda-sorta-fit to actually-fit.

Centrifugal

Bump? (I apologize if bumping isn't allowed; I'm just trying to get an answer rather than having the thread get totally lost.)

mtnmchgrl

Woah, that's a rough schedule. So, are you sleeping a full 8 hours after you get home from the gym?

Centrifugal

On most days I'm able to get a good amount of sleep. On my own with no alarm, I'll usually sleep between six and eight hours, and on most days if I end up in bed at 7:00am I can sleep until 2:00 before I need to get up again, which I consider a good sleep and usually wake up feeling rested.

thefuzz1290

There's no "bad time" to workout. Exercise is most effective for weight loss first thing in the morning because it will boost your metabolism throughout the day. However, go when you can go. That being said, I work an overnight shift (12hr shifts) and I go to the gym right after work to do a little cardio before my family wakes up. Mind you, I have to take my daughter to school so I'm in bed by 0930 and I typically only get 4-6 hours of sleep, maybe 7 hours on days I don't work. I find a good cardio session will allow me to sleep better when I know I'm not going to get much.

spartacus69

I have trouble going to sleep if I exercise at night. Otherwise, I don't think it makes a difference. Work out when you can.

According to nutrition guru Alan Aragon, nutrient timing is largely irrelevant:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=123915821&page=1

Centrifugal

Thanks very much!