In a single day which is most important?

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gman1232
gman1232 Posts: 37
in Motivation and Support
Sleep or exercise. Monday's are hectic for me and the only time I can exercise is at 9 pm. When I exercise that late, it takes me FOREVER to fall asleep. Which should I go with? Add to that, a group of friends plays basketball at 9 pm on Mondays so I really like the form of exercise.

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  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
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    Do you normally sleep well? If it's the elevated cortisol levels that are keeping you up a magnesium supplement can help. My wife always had a terrible time sleeping, then started taking a magnesium supplement called Natural Calm before bed which helped significantly. Quite a few people who work out regularly find it affects their sleep if they work out late in the day, a lot of them find that they respond well to magnesium supplementation.
  • WhisperAnne
    WhisperAnne Posts: 453
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    You shouldn't work out before bed, it will cause you to stay awake. If Mondays or to busy for you then just don't work out those days! or if you are really into working out try to fit it in first thing in the morning.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    Sleep
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i can understand wanting to hang out and play basketball with friends. can you sleep in a little on tuesday morning?

    if not, try to just lay down in bed with a low light and read. honestly, no matter how wired i am, thirty minutes of that and i'm dead asleep.
  • gman1232
    gman1232 Posts: 37
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    Do you normally sleep well? If it's the elevated cortisol levels that are keeping you up a magnesium supplement can help. My wife always had a terrible time sleeping, then started taking a magnesium supplement called Natural Calm before bed which helped significantly. Quite a few people who work out regularly find it affects their sleep if they work out late in the day, a lot of them find that they respond well to magnesium supplementation.

    Interesting, I do have a diagnosed magnesium deficiency that I take a supplement for. I don't ever just fall asleep, but usually am asleep within 30 minutes.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    How badly sleep-deprived are you the next day? Normally, I'd say, get the sleep, but if the basketball game is something you really enjoy, is a good workout, and takes place at no other time maybe it's worth the sacrifice. But be aware that lack of sleep has been associated with obesity. (I don't know if one day a week would matter. Certainly, you should catch up on your sleep the rest of the week.) In addition, go easy on the beer and pizza if they follow the game.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    If you push yourself beyond your usual capability whilst exercising it can lead to a prolonged elevation of heart rate, respiration and basal body temperature. If your exercising has also been fairly intense it will lead to increased cortisol and / or adrenaline. This will all hinder sleep.

    To prevent it, give yourself an hour or two before you go to bed where you allow yourself to wind down properly if possible. Avoid unnecessary stimulation (like logging on or watching TV) and try and cool down (literally) by taking a coldish shower.

    If I had to make the choice though I would choose sleep and keep my general activity as high as possible on Monday.
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
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    You have to find time to move and exercise. Sleep is also important. For me, I wake up at 5AM to workout just because it is the only time I consistently control. It also allows me to enjoy the energy that comes from being physically active throughout the entire day. It does mean I go to bed at 9:30PM though. It is a sacrifice but you cannot have everything. My health is more important that the couple hours in the evening that I give up to sleep. In the end, the choice ideally isn't between sleep and exercise.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    You shouldn't work out before bed, it will cause you to stay awake.

    Just noting that not everyone has this problem. If i'm tired I can work out, drink a cup of coffee, and fall asleep. Any insomnia I've had, and I've had long stretches, has never been caused by late-night exercise.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    Sleep.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Rest is always more important, but I don't think this has to be viewed within the context of a single day unless getting less sleep that one night is causing you serious problems the next day. In that case, sleep should be the priority. Otherwise, you can make up for small amounts of missed sleep at another time. I use an app on my phone called SleepBot to keep track of my "sleep debt" over the course of the week, and I try to catch up (by going to bed earlier, taking naps on weekends, etc.) when it gets out of hand.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Sleep wins every time. Exercise isn't required for me to lose weight or maintain my weight.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
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    Quality of life: play basketball w/friends b/c you like it.

    Maybe try some of the suggestions for getting to sleep afterwards. If you can't sleep a little late on Tues, can you get some extra sleep Sunday night? Studies have shown that you can't "bank" or "make up" hours of sleep 1:1, but you can ease the deficit.

    In any case, it's ONE day, and an activity you enjoy.
  • Pandora_King
    Pandora_King Posts: 153
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    Sleep trumps everything for me. Without it, I am useless. I need 10 hours or more every night. If the alarm wakes me up, my day will be crap. If I wake up first, I feel great and I jump out of bed, ready to go!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Sleep.
  • hoyalawya2003
    hoyalawya2003 Posts: 631 Member
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    I occasionally have this problem (I workout almost exclusively in the evening) and I take melatonin for those times when sleep isn't coming easily. It is what your body naturally produces, so it doesn't give me that zonky feeling in the am like other sleeping aids do.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I never have problem falling asleep. I'd have to vote sleep, if i had to pick
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    Sleep is very important, but It'd be a cold day somewhere south of here before I gave up my basketball night. I play every Tuesday from 9:00 to 11"00 PM.

    Rigger
  • gman1232
    gman1232 Posts: 37
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    Sleep is very important, but It'd be a cold day somewhere south of here before I gave up my basketball night. I play every Tuesday from 9:00 to 11"00 PM.

    Rigger

    That is how I feel. I guess I will make the sleep up somewhere else.

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