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Exercise Is Worse Than Caffeine!
thickerella
Posts: 154 Member
I have not been getting enough sleep lately. I can't seem to close my eyes before 12 sometimes even 1-2am....but it is only on the days I work out! It doesn't seem to matter WHEN I work out. Whether it is before lunch or after dinner or morning. If I work out that day I feel antsy and restless when I should be going to bed. It's exactly like the feeling I get if I drink a cup of coffee or drink a soda after 4. I have to get up at 6am and I need my sleep!
I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.
What to do?
I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.
What to do?
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Replies
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You're going to have to try to workout earlier. Maybe workout in the morning before work if you can.0
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Do you cool down?
Meditation is great to still your mind
Take 30 mins before bed to chill out with no screens, perhaps a hot bath with lavender oils, a hot milk0 -
Push your workouts harder. Progressive overload time for OP.0
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Are you working out in the evenings? I have found on nights that I run or lift I have to come down for about 3-4 hours post workout before sleep is an option, but when I do sleep then, it's a holy righteous slumber.
One thing that may help is to track your sleep at wake up naturally. I use Sleepcycle. Great app. It rests on your bed and wakes you up during your lighter sleep phase0 -
Funny that by the time ive finished mine then I am normally cream crackered, go home eat dinner and go to sleep.0
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Workout in the morning only. And take Melatonin 2 hours before you want to be asleep.0
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Workout so hard your asleep before your head hits the pillow!
I've gone through spells where my energy levels were through the roof. After a late night soccer game I'm usually bouncing off the walls. A hot epsom salt bath can help bring me down. I also find that if I do get limited sleep one night (5-6 hrs) due to a hard time falling asleep. I wake up feeling fine and just hit the pillow earlier the next night and it balances out fine. I average 8hrs a night and take it pretty seriously too
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What kind of workout? I find cardio wakes me up a bit, but yoga or moderate strength training can chill me out nicely.
Move the types of exercise that you personally find invigorating to the morning, and move the other stuff to the evening.0 -
Do you cool down?
Meditation is great to still your mind
Take 30 mins before bed to chill out with no screens, perhaps a hot bath with lavender oils, a hot milk
I'm all for natural remedies, so I agree with these suggestions. Also, maybe try light yoga-type stretching in a quiet place for 10 - 15 min. The important thing is to create a bedtime routine, much like you would a baby, and train your body and mind to go along with it. It can be done!0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »Push your workouts harder. Progressive overload time for OP.
Is that why I find I can pass out in bed right after I get back from the gym?? lol
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Stretch. I find when I'm restless before bed if I do some really good stretching it seems to help it.0
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I agree with many of the natural suggestions... a hot shower before bed, stretching/foam rolling, reading...0
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And I'll throw the BS flag. It's all in your head. Even if it's real, which it probably isn't, the easy fix is to take something to make you drowsy. Zzzquil sleep aid, a Benedryl or store brand equivalent (this has exactly the same ingredients as a sleeping pill BTW, they just label sleeping pills as sleep aids to charge more), or a glass of wine would all be good solutions.
Alcohol is a poor choice because it messes with sleep architecture.
I would definitely say look at developing a nice sleep routine that you follow every night, things like a bath, stretching, turning off computer and phone, having herbal tea (e.g., chamomile), prayer, reading something not too engrossing, cuddling, etc.
Give yourself that 30-60 minutes to wind down and see if that helps. Definitely no exercise 3-4 hours before your desired bedtime. And then try not to worry so much about whether or not you fall asleep exactly on time. Just go to bed when you are feeling sleepy and enjoy laying in bed and having some quiet time. If you realize you aren't ready to fall asleep get back up and do some nice, restful things until you feel sleepy again.
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work out more.
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Take a melatonin tablet about 1-2 hours before bed.0
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About 3 or 4 nights a week I work out around 9pm and finish up around 10pm. I always take a super hot shower afterwards and drink a hot cup of tea to unwind. I'm usually out by 11:30-12am. I get up around 6am everyday. I sleep like the dead on these nights.
On the nights I don't work out, I'm in bed by 10pm but tend to wake up a million times. That's bad because my favorite cure for insomnia is baking. Made some bangin' good cookies last week...0 -
it is not working out, it is something else …
you either have some kind of insomnia, too much on your mind, etc ….
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thickerella wrote: »I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.
What to do?
Is there a pattern to your days off? Are those non work days? There may be something else associated that is leading you to feel restless. Also, being exhausted is different than being sleepy.. you may be attempting to go to bed when you are exhausted but not sleepy which isn't going to work well. Really pay attention and try to limit going to bed to when you are sleepy.
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it is not working out, it is something else …
you either have some kind of insomnia, too much on your mind, etc ….
This^! I workout at 5 a.m. I drink only two cups o Joe a day, nothing else but water. I just don't sleep. I have tried every form of OTC sleep aid and now have doctor prescribed sleeping pills and I still don't sleep when I take them. It is NOT because you're working out. It's called stress.0 -
Getting healthier has made me sleep much more easily. On workout days, my eyes usually close before my head hits the pillow. I guess everyone works a little differently.0
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I disagree with the ones stating that it has nothing to do with working out. There is a huge difference in not sleeping and being restless. There are many days where I workout out and am completely restless all evening, usually my legs. This is not for lack of not pushing myself either.0
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I disagree with the ones stating that it has nothing to do with working out. There is a huge difference in not sleeping and being restless. There are many days where I workout out and am completely restless all evening, usually my legs. This is not for lack of not pushing myself either.
Do you have restless leg syndrome?
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Then increase your workout intensity. Most of my workouts I sleep, and sleep really hard. Glycogen depletion is a b.thickerella wrote: »I have not been getting enough sleep lately. I can't seem to close my eyes before 12 sometimes even 1-2am....but it is only on the days I work out! It doesn't seem to matter WHEN I work out. Whether it is before lunch or after dinner or morning. If I work out that day I feel antsy and restless when I should be going to bed. It's exactly like the feeling I get if I drink a cup of coffee or drink a soda after 4. I have to get up at 6am and I need my sleep!
I work out 4-5 days a week. 2-3 days calisthenics, 2 days weights. Both types of workouts physically exhaust me and seem to induce the same restlessness.
What to do?
0 -
melatonin, that will put you right out..... or a box of wine0
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And I'll throw the BS flag. It's all in your head. Even if it's real, which it probably isn't, the easy fix is to take something to make you drowsy. Zzzquil sleep aid, a Benedryl or store brand equivalent (this has exactly the same ingredients as a sleeping pill BTW, they just label sleeping pills as sleep aids to charge more), or a glass of wine would all be good solutions.
I take melatonin at night to force myself to sleep and it's still a struggle. If I worked out in the morning I think it would be better but it's hard to fall asleep right after, even after a bath. I now drink sleepytime tea, take melatonin and no tv after showering. I catch up on my sleep on the weekends and usally don't get out of bed until 11am or 12pm. That's why I usually am way under my calories on weekends. Not enough time to get it all in. But I'd rather the sleep.0 -
Make sure you only workout in the morning and make sure you are eating enough on the days you workout.0
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Actually, I know why I don't sleep well. I drink so much water during the day that I have to get up to use the bathroom at least 5 times. So just knowing I will have to get up probably prevents me from really crashing. I'm trying now to drink more earlier and less at night (hard since I workout very intensely) so I don't have to keep running to the bathroom.0
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I take melatonin at night to force myself to sleep and it's still a struggle. If I worked out in the morning I think it would be better but it's hard to fall asleep right after, even after a bath. I now drink sleepytime tea, take melatonin and no tv after showering. I catch up on my sleep on the weekends and usally don't get out of bed until 11am or 12pm. That's why I usually am way under my calories on weekends. Not enough time to get it all in. But I'd rather the sleep.
You may need melatonin a bit earlier, I think 3 hours before you are trying to fall asleep. But the sleeping in on weekends is probably going to keep making it hard for you to fall asleep earlier on weekdays, it's like giving yourself jet lag every week.
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This discussion has been closed.
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