Sleep Deprived

I work a part time job in the evenings in addition to my full time job. I do not get home until 11:30 at night and cannot fall asleep for at least 2 hours. Many days this sabotages my early morning workout which I do at 4:30 AM.

Any suggestions for natural sleeps aids? I do not want to go the OTC sleep medicine route.

Replies

  • xshortiex
    xshortiex Posts: 120 Member
    Switch your workout time! That's way too early to work out if you don't get to sleep until after midnight. Sleep is essential for weight loss - and that means hours spent sleeping, which pills won't help you with. Ideal hours/night spent sleeping is between 7-8.
  • Treesy72
    Treesy72 Posts: 230
    I don't know what others will say but I truly believe that you need 6-8 hours of sleep daily to be healthy and happy. Is there time in between jobs to get a short work out in?
  • Have you tried working out before you go to bed? While a lot of people say that it gives them energy and keeps them up, it actually depletes my energy and wipes me out. After I get done working out at night I have about an hour before it's lights out for me.
  • jordanreddick
    jordanreddick Posts: 197 Member
    If you have no other time option, try melatonin
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    Hyland's brand homeopathic Insomnia pills. Or Calms Forte. If you can't find them at your pharmacy (I can't) you can order them on Amazon for cheap. They work, and they're not habit-forming.
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
    Oh my gosh....that is very little sleep! I don't know how you can sustain that, long term. Do you have time to work out between jobs? Or as someone else suggested, maybe try working out right after your second job ends, since you are awake anyway?
  • Katydyd1979
    Katydyd1979 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm in a similar situation in that I work 9 hour days and spend over 3 hours a day commuting to my desk job. I do my best to get great workouts on the weekends, and I made some adjustments at work: I sit on an exercise ball for part of the day (to strengthen my core & improve my balance), I have a set of pedals under my desk -- I don't always pedal very fast (can't make a lot of noise in my cube environment), but I try to keep them moving. I have a twisty board that I try to use for a few minutes once an hour, and I set my Outlook Calendar to ding at me once an hour to remind me to stand up, stretch, walk a lap around the cube farm or run up and down the steps a few times. I also got some exercises from our physical therapy department at work (I work in a hospital) for their wheelchair-bound patients. I'm not wheelchair-bound, but I can do all the exercises while sitting at my desk while I'm on boring phone calls! I bet if you did a Google search, you could find some good similar ones. I'm probably not going to win a triathalon by doing all this, but the weight is coming off, and it is better than doing nothing. I also try really hard to get a full 8 hours of sleep a night. On the rare occasion I can't sleep, I make sure the room is totally dark and as quiet as possible. That usually does the trick for me.
  • edarnick96
    edarnick96 Posts: 4 Member
    On the nights I work late, I skip my morning workout- I just cannot do it. But even if I am not working out, I have to be up by 5:15 AM to get myself and my son ready for the day. I really need 8 hours of sleep to be at my best, but I can get by with 7 hours and feel OK.

    I've tried working out at night, but then I have a difficult time sleeping. The most difficult thing about finding a natural way to fall asleep is they all involve food- tea works sometimes for me. As I watch what I eat it is hard to add more calories at the end of the night and these calories do not get burned off and contribute to weight gain. I currently stop eating 2 hours before bed (on nights I don't work) and 4 hours before I return home from work.

    Thanks for the tips, I'll have to research the melatonin a little further
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
    Melatonin is natural.
    Kudos on working so hard! Tough Woman you are!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    IMHO, there is no substitute for adequate sleep. There are tweaks you can do (such as manipulating lighting, supplements like melatonin, magnesium, etc.), but none of these will make inadequate sleep adequate.

    (Also, I do not believe that timing of food has any significant impact on weight gain/loss, although it can impact quality of sleep.)
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Unless you can fall asleep right after working out (and many people cannot), then I don't think that moving your workout to the end of the day will improve things substantially. As others have suggested, working out between jobs might be a good idea it if is an option. If not, I would actually recommend meditation, many people find this helps them to relax and fall asleep faster.

    Melatonin supplements always make me wake up feeling drowsy and hung-over, not really the effect you are going for, so if you try them try them at a time when you can afford the side effects. If tea helps you sleep, I'd say stick with that, especially something like chamomile, it is very calming and won't add significant calories to your day.
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
    holy basil works well, too. You can get it in capsule or tea form. I prefer the tea.
  • cestlafete
    cestlafete Posts: 71 Member
    I've been there, done that. Kind of still doing that, but attempting to cut back as of late.

    Herbs that you'll want to pay attention to:
    Valerian (can be used in tea or supplement, strong, nasty aroma)
    Vervain (tea or supplement, very palatable)
    Chammomile (tea, good flavor)
    Lavender (tea or aroma therapy, mild and pleasant)
    California Poppy (ingredient in remedies/supplements)
    St. John's Wort (supplement, also available as homeopathic remedy as hypericum perforatum)

    I'm good with herbs and such, if you need anything else. Good luck, and don't hurt yourself with that schedule :<
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    Did you know the average person will lose an extra 14 lbs a year just by getting 7 hours a night over 6 hours? Sleep is very important, especially to those who are trying to remain physically fit.
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 781 Member
    Bob Marley Mellow mood tea works awesome!!
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
    I have horrendous insomnia. Even prescription drugs dont stop it. I average less than 4 hours of sleep most nights....it sucks a chunky one no matter how ya look at it. Ive heard it said that TART CHERRY juice works great. I wish you much success.