losing sleep

berryjk
berryjk Posts: 120
in Motivation and Support
My schedule everyday has not changed. up at 4am, workout til 6am, work from 6am to 6pm, eat dinner, put kids to bed at 8pm and in bed by 9pm. REPEAT DAILY. However, 3 things in that routine have changed: (1) I quit smoking (2) I am focusing on cardio based exercises (5 days a week, 60-90mins a day) (3) no more breads, rices and noodles (with the exception of my lasagna breakfast)
So I guess my question would be...Have any of you changed 1 or all 3 things in your schedule and if so, have you found yourself losing sleep???
I find it strange that I went from a 5 day a week 45min a day weight lifting schedule, passing out on the couch by 9pm to a 5 day a week 60-90min routine and finding myself wide awake til 3am....... :ohwell:

Replies

  • pudgeylou
    pudgeylou Posts: 202 Member
    I am not as heavily into the fitness as you are but I have noticed that on my weightlifting days I fall asleep faster and sleep better than on my cardio days. On my cardio days I end up laying awake til well after midnight whereas I am usually asleep around 9pm. I also do my weightlifting and cardio workouts in the early evening 5pm or so. Don't know if it is any help. Good luck.
  • berryjk
    berryjk Posts: 120
    I am not as heavily into the fitness as you are but I have noticed that on my weightlifting days I fall asleep faster and sleep better than on my cardio days. On my cardio days I end up laying awake til well after midnight whereas I am usually asleep around 9pm. I also do my weightlifting and cardio workouts in the early evening 5pm or so. Don't know if it is any help. Good luck.

    it does help thanks..i use to do cardio in the evening and I would be awake until the wee hours of the night then too. I just recently got into weight lifting for a contest I participated in and I had never slept better in my LIFE the night I had a good AM session of weight lifting. Maybe the cardio doesn't wear me out as much as the lifting........???
  • wcrathbun
    wcrathbun Posts: 85 Member
    First of all, congrats to you for quitting!! It is quite an accomplishment! With that being said, my boyfriend and I both had a lot of trouble sleeping when we quit smoking so that could be a big part of it :( It does get better and of course it is sooo worth it in the end!
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    I am pretty much on the same schedule but only for about 2.5 months and not so much cardio. I am lifting twice a week and do cardio 3 times a week. I quit smoking and I cut simple carbs out of my diet.

    I used to pass out on the couch at 8 PM even before my kid would go to bed but now I find it hard to fall asleep. I MAKE myself go to bed at 10 pm and pop Tylenol PM to make sure I don't waste any time just laying around.

    edited for typos
  • berryjk
    berryjk Posts: 120
    First of all, congrats to you for quitting!! It is quite an accomplishment! With that being said, my boyfriend and I both had a lot of trouble sleeping when we quit smoking so that could be a big part of it :( It does get better and of course it is sooo worth it in the end!

    Thanks! Congrats to you too! It DEFINITELY isn't easy, but it was holding me back from my fitness goals so I quit. It's only been 4 weeks so maybe I still need more time for my body to adjust
  • berryjk
    berryjk Posts: 120
    I am pretty much on the same schedule but only for about 2.5 months and not so much cardio. I am lifting twice a week and do cardio 3 times a week. I quit smoking and I cut simple carbs out of my diet.

    I used to pass out on the couch at 8 PM even before my kid would go to bed but now I find it hard to fall asleep. I MAKE myself go to bed at 10 pm and pop Tylenol PM to make sure I don't waste any time just laying around.

    edited for typos
    I have popped benadryl a couple times to help me sleep, but I hate having to drug myself :( I feel ya though
  • questiontheanswers
    questiontheanswers Posts: 170 Member
    Are you eating enough? It sounds a little counterintuitive, but I recently read in the New Rules of Lifting for Women book that not eating enough for your activity levels can have you losing sleep at night. Are you just having trouble falling asleep or do you not stay asleep throughout the night? If it's the former, it could be the cardio - I do a kickboxing class 3 nights a week and they are exhausting but I am WIRED when I come home. It takes me hours to feel ready for bed. If it's an issue with the quality of sleep, though, you might try upping your calories a bit to see if that helps.
  • berryjk
    berryjk Posts: 120
    Are you eating enough? It sounds a little counterintuitive, but I recently read in the New Rules of Lifting for Women book that not eating enough for your activity levels can have you losing sleep at night. Are you just having trouble falling asleep or do you not stay asleep throughout the night? If it's the former, it could be the cardio - I do a kickboxing class 3 nights a week and they are exhausting but I am WIRED when I come home. It takes me hours to feel ready for bed. If it's an issue with the quality of sleep, though, you might try upping your calories a bit to see if that helps.

    when I was weight lifting I ate 2500-3000cals a day. Now that I am on a more strict cardio routine I eat my 1200cals + half to all my exercise cals daily, but that still puts me at about 1000-1500cals less then I was eating just a few weeks ago. I considered the fact that I am not eating foods that sit heavy (breads, rice, noodles, etc). Carbs and starches always make me feel lazy and tired after I eat them and during my lifting contest I felt like I was eating my weight in carbs!!! I might have to incorporate more carbs into my diet!
  • wcrathbun
    wcrathbun Posts: 85 Member
    First of all, congrats to you for quitting!! It is quite an accomplishment! With that being said, my boyfriend and I both had a lot of trouble sleeping when we quit smoking so that could be a big part of it :( It does get better and of course it is sooo worth it in the end!

    Thanks! Congrats to you too! It DEFINITELY isn't easy, but it was holding me back from my fitness goals so I quit. It's only been 4 weeks so maybe I still need more time for my body to adjust

    Good for you! I would definitely say it will take your body a bit longer to adjust. Keep up the good work! :)

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