Evening exercisers, sleep question

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  • stellaskies
    stellaskies Posts: 161 Member
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    I have insomnia. I used to work out at 5 am and it didn't make a bit of difference if I did it in the morning or after work :/
  • KLPlatinum
    KLPlatinum Posts: 47
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    I do my second workout around 8 (depending on when the kids goes to sleep), only 25 mins of 30DS. I have found that it does take me longer to fall asleep about 2 hours after I finish working out. But once I fall asleep, I am out for the rest of the night. If I do have problems sleeping, I take a single dose of melatonin (something I discovered when I couldn't sleep in Afghanistan) It works for me and isn't habit forming.
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    oh, also I discovered some great hypnosis apps for android and ipad. My favorite is by Darren Marks and zonks me out every single time.
    I suppose that's worth a shot, but I'm not sure it would work for me being such a light sleeper. I need to have my room as dark as possible and as silent as possible. I cover my stereo with two bandanas, which I wrap around the front and then I lean a book against that to make sure no light seeps out from the sides of the bandanas, I turn my clock around to face the wall and put a book on top of that to block the light that comes from between the clock and the wall, and I use black out curtains. I also have to slide the laptops under the bed and cover the chargers/batteries with socks so that there's no glow from those. Sometimes even the slightest noises wake me, and I've actually dreamt noises so real that they woke me, thinking my phone is ringing or someone is knocking on the door, but it's not real. You'd think after 30 years I'd be used to it, not sleeping well, but it seems to be getting worse. There have been times lately where I've actually semi-hallucinated movement on my bed, like my son or my cat has come into my room and jolted the bed, but there's no one there. Pretty frickin' ridiculous.
  • thesgtmjr
    thesgtmjr Posts: 8
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    I normally try to finish exercising by 6pm so I can start to wind down. However, that being said, I find I finish up around 9pm. I then find if I meditate for about 20 minutes I start to feel calmer and can go to sleep with little tossing and turning. The meditation seems to help in that respect. However for those nights I don't calm down, I take some valerian root and melatonin. The valerian root is great for calming and the melatonin helps me to stay asleep. I have plenty of stuff on my mind and the one thing I find that keeps the thoughts from overtaking me is not to watch intense movies or shows. Just ideas.
  • DLKeeble
    DLKeeble Posts: 200 Member
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    I find that I sleep much deeper and usually fall asleep within 5 to 10 minutes. I haven't taken ambien for weeks now.
  • jessicaj22
    jessicaj22 Posts: 11
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    I exercise in the evening, anywhere from 7-10 and after I get home and shower, I am ready for bed and beat tired. Then I sleep great and wake up feeling even better. It's rejuvenating! :)
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    I am a insomniac. I work out hard until 7.15pm.... Really hard. I don't drink caffeine and I don't sleep a wink. Sleep is already bad but so much worse after exercise at night! I feel your pain! Don't know what to do about it though! X
  • heather_huggins
    heather_huggins Posts: 194 Member
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    i've tried exercising in the morning before work, i know a lot of people prefer it to "wake them up" but it does the exact opposite for me. it makes me feel sore and tired and all i want to do after my workout dvd is take the dog for a nice 20 minute walk to cool off then curl up in my bed. i work out after work. (usually anytime between 11pm-12am) my work hours are different though, i work 2-10 and 3-11 shifts. i've found it's the best routine for me. also, i drink a lot of water throughout the day and only drink 1 diet pop a day (if i even have a pop) and it really helps not having all that extra caffeine and sugar in me.
  • lafochs
    lafochs Posts: 21
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    Agreed. I sleep better after my evening workouts. I'm not a morning person and struggle to have the same energy for working out in the mornings.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
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    If I work out too close to bed I can't sleep. I get a lot of endorphins and adrenaline and it's just no good. I work out right after work (I get to the gym around 6) and I have found that working out at this time helps me sleep better at eleven. Everything starts to fade by ten and I am in bed lights out an hour later.
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    I am a insomniac. I work out hard until 7.15pm.... Really hard. I don't drink caffeine and I don't sleep a wink. Sleep is already bad but so much worse after exercise at night! I feel your pain! Don't know what to do about it though! X
    Well, I'm glad it's not just me, though I'm sorry that you have to experience that. If you find anything that works for you, let me know. I've been leery of sleep aids since I was a teen and I used them and found the more I used them, the more I seemed to need them. It was like they would work the first night, but the next night I would be beyond wired.
  • Invictus195
    Invictus195 Posts: 112
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    I do all of my cardio generally between 7-10PM and I sleep like a baby and consistently at that. I too am a light sleeper and have had my bouts with insomnia but since doing my cardio in the evenings...Its lights out!!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    Yes, I have that problem, and it's unfortunate bc I love to go out salsa dancing -- at night. In fact the other night I could never fall asleep when I got home; I was so wired.

    Sometimes Melatonin will help, but sometimes not. If I am really desperate I will take a half-dose of Nyquil; that usually does the trick.

    I just make sure I don't take coffee after 2 pm and avoid exercise the night before something really important.
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    If I work out too close to bed I can't sleep. I get a lot of endorphins and adrenaline and it's just no good. I work out right after work (I get to the gym around 6) and I have found that working out at this time helps me sleep better at eleven. Everything starts to fade by ten and I am in bed lights out an hour later.
    I think I need to try to work out straight after work and not after dinner. Lately it just hasn't worked out that way because I haven't gotten many calories during the day, so I need some fuel before I try to work out. Thank goodness I get paid tomorrow so I can restock on fruit, snacks, and good lunches I can bring to work so I'm not skimping so much--the past couple days I've been at like 500/600 calories for the day when I head home and I've already burned that just by being awake and working. It's not enough to get me through a work out with the kind of energy I feel I need to make it worth it.
  • RitaSantoss
    RitaSantoss Posts: 986 Member
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    I try to exercise everyday and most of the times at 9-11 pm or even later and I didn't notice any significant changes in my sleeping. I think if anything it helped me. You should first try and cut on the caffeine and other stimulants you might be eating too close to your bed time. And if this doesn't help, you should consult your physician.
  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
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    I prefer to work out after work, which is about 4 hours before I go to sleep. I find I sleep a lot better, and my muscles and joints are better able to handle the activity. However, when I can't sleep, since I have allergies anyway I take allergy stuff before bed that helps me sleep too and breathe better in the morning. I also have taken melatonin before for sleep. It doesn't seem to negatively impact sleep, but it sounds like your mind is trying to work out stress.
  • loriaqui
    loriaqui Posts: 55 Member
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    I work out around 8pm and find I have no problem sleeping. In fact, overslept for work today. Wouldn't recommend that ... but I did sleep well! :)
  • AddieOverhaul
    AddieOverhaul Posts: 734 Member
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    I often work out from 830-10, but usually can't fall asleep for about an hour to and hour and a half afterwards because I'm too wired. So I use that time to get everything ready fro the morning so I can sleep in a bit longer, and then just try and do something quiet to get sleepy.
  • Tonya0605
    Tonya0605 Posts: 111 Member
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    Nope. I find that, in general, the more consistent I am with work outs the better I sleep, and my usual work out time is around 6 or 7pm, with my bedtime being around 10pm.
    ^^....this....but I work out much later...usually 7 or as late as 8. It actually helps me sleep better and deeper. Cardio, weights and finish with at least 10 mins of mild stretching and/or yoga poses. I usually am barely able to shower before I'm ready to sleep.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
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    Yeah, I'm disturbed by vigorous exercise after 8pm. Best if it's closer to 6 or 7, really.

    What I find does help as a sleep *aid* is light swimming. I'm able to swim starting at 8 or 9 pm and sleep like a babe afterwards. And I'm speaking as a lifelong insomniac. I even catch myself driving more slowly back from the pool, & have to consciously work to keep up with traffic :)

    (BUT I still then have to rigorously apply sleep hygiene principles.)

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