Not Sleeping at Night...WTH?

amandainez08

I've been on MFP for about a month and a half now. I dropped all sodas...really all drinks but water, but I do have an occasional glass of tea. I've changed the way I eat, and if I can't avoid eating out, I plan for it, make better choices, etc. A little over two weeks ago, I started Shaun T's Hip Hop Abs. Now, I pretty much went from the couch do doing the workout videos. I don't find them too challenging, but it definitely gets my heart a-pumpin'! I do it six days a week (as recommended). Now here's my problem. About a week or so ago, I found myself waking all throughout the night, seeming to not be able to get comfortable. With this happening, I'm more and more tired during the day and have less and less energy do even do my workouts. Today, for example, I could only do 30 minutes instead of the recommended 54. I have never been one to lose sleep during the night. I don't have trouble going to sleep, but staying asleep seems to be a problem. I just can't get comfortable! I have thought about turning my mattress and/or getting new pillows, etc., but I'm wondering if make going from the couch to full-blown workouts has anything to do with it. I've gotten good results so far. I've already lost a couple of inches off my waist and my hips in just two weeks. I'm not really sure what to do here. Could going from a couch potato to a wanna-be-fit person right away have anything to do with it? Am I giving myself enough recovery time? Just in the two weeks I've been doing this, I feel if I miss a workout, I'll gain the few pounds I've already lost. Maybe that's just a fear of mine. Any advice is welcome.

amandainez08

Seriously? Nothing? Thanks guys...

seeled

I was hoping you had a reply too since I have more problems staying asleep since I have been working out more. Mine could be contributed to other factors as well. At least the last week when I was asleep, I feel it was a good sleep despite waking up about every 2 hours!

TheVimFuego

Seriously? Nothing? Thanks guys...

Lack of sleep making you a little tetchy?

OK seriously ... I had some issues with getting to sleep and staying there (waking every 2 hours or so) especially since I cut the carbs (if consumed close to bedtime then carbs are known to help with sleep).

I tried the usual warm milky drinks, camomile tea, no TV for a while before bed and all that with little effect.

Then I discovered that supplementing with Magnesium an hour or so before bed will relax muscles and encourage natural drowsiness (and no 'hangover' like you get with some sleep aids).

I swear by it, it's about $16 for 90 tablets here and I only need one a night.

amandainez08

I know what you mean. I even took a sleeping pill last night actually get some rest. I didn't wake up as much, but I STILL woke up with that sleeping pill in my system. Ugh... It's just not good! Lol!

kateanne27

I'm noticing I am not sleeping a well since I started working out, it was the same situation a couple weeks ago I went from couch potato to doing dance workouts on the wii, which get pretty intense, and the biggest loser challenge workouts. Now I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Part of might be that I am drinking much more water, I get up a few times to use the bathroom, but its definitely more than that, and I thought that working out would make me tired. I cant help tho. :P

seeled

I STILL woke up with that sleeping pill in my system. Ugh... It's just not good! Lol!

Every night, tylenol PM or metonin (spelling) and I STILL wake up every 2 hours!

amandainez08

Seriously? Nothing? Thanks guys...

Lack of sleep making you a little tetchy?

OK seriously ... I had some issues with getting to sleep and staying there (waking every 2 hours or so) especially since I cut the carbs (if consumed close to bedtime then carbs are known to help with sleep).

I tried the usual warm milky drinks, camomile tea, no TV for a while before bed and all that with little effect.

Then I discovered that supplementing with Magnesium an hour or so before bed will relax muscles and encourage natural drowsiness (and no 'hangover' like you get with some sleep aids).

I swear by it, it's about $16 for 90 tablets here and I only need one a night.

Lol! Yes. I blame it on the sleeplessness! But thanks so much. I'll definitely try that! I had no idea that cutting carbs before bed could affect your sleep!

blonde71

I've had occasional insomnia since my college days. Warm milk taken like a half hour before bed and after a bath seem to do the trick for me. Good luck. I feel your pain.

TheVimFuego

I'm noticing I am not sleeping a well since I started working out, it was the same situation a couple weeks ago I went from couch potato to doing dance workouts on the wii, which get pretty intense, and the biggest loser challenge workouts. Now I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Part of might be that I am drinking much more water, I get up a few times to use the bathroom, but its definitely more than that, and I thought that working out would make me tired. I cant help tho. :P

My significant work outs are some long-ish coastal walks ... I also swear by exposure to sea air for general health and sleep.

No science behind it, just anecdotal.

I wouldn't be doing anything vigorous close to bedtime either.

Well, most things vigorous close to bedtime.

hooperkay

I'd flip my mattress. Is there a reason your getting up? like bathroom?? Some days I can't stay asleep but I stay in bed and just lay there tilll time to get up. At least my body is rested. Don't know why I cant sleep sometimes. Do you get a lot of sun? Melatonin can help too. I do know that if I worry about staying asleep I will wake up. Try taking hot bath with smell good stuff, wash your sheets and dry just before bed. Might help?

Oh if your going to bathroom a lot. Stop drinking your water like 3-4 hours before you go to bed. HTH

amandainez08

@kateanne27 - I feel that's exactly what's happening to me. I do use the bathroom a lot more because of the water, but I wish that was the only times I woke up during the night. I'm always tossing and turning. You would think working out and drinking water and eating right would help you sleep...not interfere with it. But I guess we're just missing something! Some smidge of advice that we're missing out on when it comes to sleeping!

@seeled - I feel your pain

seeled

My significant work outs are some long-ish coastal walks ... I also swear by exposure to sea air for general health and sleep.

No science behind it, just anecdotal.

When I was able to take those coastal walks, I slept like a baby all night!Ahhh I miss the coast!

amandainez08

I'm noticing I am not sleeping a well since I started working out, it was the same situation a couple weeks ago I went from couch potato to doing dance workouts on the wii, which get pretty intense, and the biggest loser challenge workouts. Now I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Part of might be that I am drinking much more water, I get up a few times to use the bathroom, but its definitely more than that, and I thought that working out would make me tired. I cant help tho. :P

My significant work outs are some long-ish coastal walks ... I also swear by exposure to sea air for general health and sleep.

No science behind it, just anecdotal.

I wouldn't be doing anything vigorous close to bedtime either.

Well, most things vigorous close to bedtime.

We're going to the beach the beginning of August. I can't wait. I love the beach! I would swear by it, too! I swear I'm moving down there once I finish college! And I'll try to take your advice on rigorous activities before bed time! LMAO!

TheVimFuego

Lol! Yes. I blame it on the sleeplessness! But thanks so much. I'll definitely try that! I had no idea that cutting carbs before bed could affect your sleep!

We are all different but there is a lot of evidence to that effect.

I don't eat after my dinner around 6pm to maximise my fat-burning potential so late night snacks, carby or not, are out for me.

If it comes to a choice between a cream bun and a tablet of Magnesium I'm having the latter

amandainez08

I'd flip my mattress. Is there a reason your getting up? like bathroom?? Some days I can't stay asleep but I stay in bed and just lay there tilll time to get up. At least my body is rested. Don't know why I cant sleep sometimes. Do you get a lot of sun? Melatonin can help too. I do know that if I worry about staying asleep I will wake up. Try taking hot bath with smell good stuff, wash your sheets and dry just before bed. Might help?

Oh if your going to bathroom a lot. Stop drinking your water like 3-4 hours before you go to bed. HTH

I wish going to the bathroom was the only reason. Sometimes, that is why I wake up, but mostly it's just me waking myself up by tossing and turning. And I don't feel rested in my body, either. (Did that make sense?) It even feels tired, but I don't want to stop my workouts. I don't want to lose progress I'll definitely try what you said. I usually just take showers, but honestly a hot bath does sound nice right about now!

ixap

Sounds like you do need more recovery time. Going from nothing to 6 hours a week of training is a lot, probably too much. Classic signs that you are doing too much / taking too little rest time are having a hard time doing workouts that you could previously do and having soreness severe enough to interfere with sleep. You are experiencing both, so I feel confident in saying that yes you are overdoing it.

I'd cut back to 3-4 times per week and gradually add more. You won't blow up overnight from a couple of missed workouts, and it sounds like you won't be able to keep going at this pace regardless if you don't give your body a chance to recover.

I think it's also good even when you having worked up to tolerating more hours/week of exercise to alternate harder and easier days rather than having every day be a maximum effort workout.

Chainie

I have had this problem. These are my tips. Find which one(s) work best for you:

Exercise early in day (rather than closer to bedtime)
Don't eat a lot if carbs at dinner
I have a 2g blend of magnesium, calcium, vitamin d + 2g vitamin c + zinc capsule before bed. The mag helps sleep.
Never take anything containing vitamin b eg b6 or b12 before bedtime - these can cause nightmares and disrupted sleep in some
If coffee before bed, make it decaf
Get your body temperature up with hot shower and then ease it back to cool for the last minute.
Take a valerian or a sleepy time tea.

If you do all those things and still no sleepy, you might be getting abducted by aliens at night LOL.

Kathy53925

Found this in a sleep disorders forum.

It is a sudden change to your body with the high compact exercise that not used to be. It's better to let your body get use to your exercise step by step, you can first reduce your only 3 times practice to 1 or even 0. Until you feel you can get back to your sleep, you can then slowly increase your own practice step by step.


(this was posted by a sleep disorders dr)


Taken from here: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Sleep-Disorders/Not-sleeping-well-after-exercising/show/442501

amandammmq

Ugh, I feel your pain! Sleep problems are the worst. :sad: It's very hard to feel motivated to exercise when you're exhausted - believe me I know! Now that exercise has been a habit, I've become better at convincing myself that I'm exhausted anyway, so I might as well exercise... not like I could possibly become even more tired than I already am! :yawn:

Are you working out in the morning or in the evening? I have heard some people say that if they work out too close to bed time, they don't sleep well. If you're working out in the evening, you might want to try working out in the morning instead to see if that helps. I wish you luck; I certainly haven't found the solution for myself, either. Sigh.

Hksalex

Workout during the morning hours.. by the time its bed time, your body will be tired.