Exercise = better sleep?

MogMog_2
MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all.. straight forward question.. do you sleep better on the days (nights) you've worked out?
My insomnia is getting bad. (I have an 8mth old who has me up every cpl hrs during the night, but still, even when I can sleep.. I cant.)
& those who do sleep better, is that because ur physically exhausted or because its helped clear ur head a bit?

Im only managing to exercise late evenings at the mo & if anything its making it worse because I feel energised after lol.
Thoughts?

Replies

  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    After reading that back I think iv just answered my own question.. gotta make the effort to exercise in the a.m :/
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
    I have sleeping problems. I workout in the evenings after work. Take a sleeping pill at about 9:30pm which puts me to sleep no worries but by 3-4am im awake and cant go back to sleep. Even on weekends when i exercise in the am i still have the same issue. It seems the days i do get a full night sleep i have more energy throughout the day and i can think much clearer. Sucks. Not sure what it is. :neutral:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    i workout in the evenings, but usually around 6...exercising shortly before bed would keep me up too.
  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    betuel75 wrote: »
    I have sleeping problems. I workout in the evenings after work. Take a sleeping pill at about 9:30pm which puts me to sleep no worries but by 3-4am im awake and cant go back to sleep. Even on weekends when i exercise in the am i still have the same issue. It seems the days i do get a full night sleep i have more energy throughout the day and i can think much clearer. Sucks. Not sure what it is. :neutral:
    Sorry to hear that, but nice to know im not the only insomniac on the planet ;)
  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    Exercising in the evening works fine for me, and I do sleep better when I do it. I also find the effect carries over--if I've had a good workout Tuesday night, I even sleep better on Wednesday night.

    I know it doesn't work this way for everyone though, and it does sound like you need to try to shift to mornings. One other thought--could it be that you aren't sleeping well because you are so aware that you could be awakened by your baby at any time? Is there a way to trade off with a partner or family member, so you know that even if the baby cries, you get the next four hours to sleep solid?

    Aw thanks for the suggestion, it may well be that, babys dad works nights tho so unfortunately im on night duty too. Maybe I shud ditch the cardio & try yoga :)
  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    i workout in the evenings, but usually around 6...exercising shortly before bed would keep me up too.

    Yeah maybe im leaving it too late,
    thanks.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited September 2015
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    i workout in the evenings, but usually around 6...exercising shortly before bed would keep me up too.

    This^

    I exercise after work too. Exercise is (mostly stress reducing) .....it's not the physical exhaustion for me.

    Another idea for better sleep - if you have time before bed - add some light yoga (hatha). It's great for maintaining flexibility (less risk of injury for more strenuous workouts) and all that deep breathing is great for reducing stress.

    http://www.yogajournal.com/slideshow/15-poses-help-sleep-better/
  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    i workout in the evenings, but usually around 6...exercising shortly before bed would keep me up too.

    This^

    I exercise after work too. Exercise is (mostly stress reducing) .....it's not the physical exhaustion for me.

    Another idea for better sleep - if you have time before bed - add some light yoga (hatha). It's great for maintaining flexibility (less risk of injury for more strenuous workouts) and all that deep breathing is great for reducing stress.

    http://www.yogajournal.com/slideshow/15-poses-help-sleep-better/

    Thanks, have just saved the link.
    The "corpse pose" looks appealing!

  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    I found that I dont sleep as well through the night unless I workout. I can sleep sound and through the night most of the time when I workout as opposed to when I dont.
  • tziol
    tziol Posts: 206 Member
    edited September 2015
    workouts close to bed time may interrupt your sleep... take a nice warm shower before bed, that might help with sleep... btw I'm falling asleep now... good night all
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    tziol wrote: »
    workouts close to bed time may interrupt your sleep... take a nice warm shower before bed, that might help with sleep... btw I'm falling asleep now... good night all
    I've had a sleep specialist doctor actually advise not to take showers or baths before bed if you have insomnia. One of the natural circadian rhythms that puts people sleep is the drop in temperature that happens at night, and the rising morning temperature helps wake us up. Taking a warm shower can disrupt that.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I normally exercise late at night (tennis 7 - 9pm then about 45 minutes in the gym afterwards). Sleep is the one thing (well one of the things) I suck at big time.

    I spend way to much time in front of the TV late at night.

    I'm certainly too wired after exercise to get a good nights sleep.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    senecarr wrote: »
    tziol wrote: »
    workouts close to bed time may interrupt your sleep... take a nice warm shower before bed, that might help with sleep... btw I'm falling asleep now... good night all
    I've had a sleep specialist doctor actually advise not to take showers or baths before bed if you have insomnia. One of the natural circadian rhythms that puts people sleep is the drop in temperature that happens at night, and the rising morning temperature helps wake us up. Taking a warm shower can disrupt that.
    Boy is this true for me. Hot baths or hot tub in the evening keeps me awake half the night. ARRGH!!
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    betuel75 wrote: »
    I have sleeping problems. I workout in the evenings after work. Take a sleeping pill at about 9:30pm which puts me to sleep no worries but by 3-4am im awake and cant go back to sleep. Even on weekends when i exercise in the am i still have the same issue. It seems the days i do get a full night sleep i have more energy throughout the day and i can think much clearer. Sucks. Not sure what it is. :neutral:

    maybe 5-6 hours per night is all your body needs.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i have chronic sleep issues.

    ive noticed no difference.

    the only thing that DOES make a difference is my stress level, but i dont see that changing any time soon lol
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,068 Member
    I've had sleep interruption insomnia ever since breast cancer treatment. Go to sleep quickly, wake up in a couple of hours (-ish), go right back to sleep quickly - repeat, repeat. Exercise didn't help. Sleep apnea treatment didn't help much (I slept more soundly during the sleep intervals). Sleep drugs didn't help - just woke up groggy every couple hours instead. The thing that helped the most was hypnotherapy from a psychologist. Go figure! It also helps a little if the room is truly dark, or I cover my eyes.
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
    edited September 2015
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I've had sleep interruption insomnia ever since breast cancer treatment. Go to sleep quickly, wake up in a couple of hours (-ish), go right back to sleep quickly - repeat, repeat. Exercise didn't help. Sleep apnea treatment didn't help much (I slept more soundly during the sleep intervals). Sleep drugs didn't help - just woke up groggy every couple hours instead. The thing that helped the most was hypnotherapy from a psychologist. Go figure! It also helps a little if the room is truly dark, or I cover my eyes.

    I didn't go to a doctor to confirm if I have insomnia, but my situation sounds like yours according to what you described about your sleeping habit. I'd fall asleep quick & repeat the "awake-asleep cycle," waking up feeling tired the next morning...

    I'd think exercise might only help if there's no issue with sleeping quality; otherwise, physical exhaustedness might just be helping with the initial stage for falling asleep but not keeping asleep from insomnia, especially the stress-induced type.
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
    no difference

    but it helps keeping me calmer, more focused and clears my mind
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I've had chronic insomnia my entire adult life. When I first started running this year, I noticed a better sleep pattern. Unfortunately that didn't last long. It's after 3 am now and I'm still awake. Ugh!
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited September 2015
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    i have chronic sleep issues.

    ive noticed no difference.

    the only thing that DOES make a difference is my stress level, but i dont see that changing any time soon lol
    jeanniewu38 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'd think exercise might only help if there's no issue with sleeping quality; otherwise, physical exhaustedness might just be helping with the initial stage for falling asleep but not keeping asleep from insomnia, especially the stress-induced type.

    This is largely my situation. For me, the link between exercise and sleep is inconsistent. Sometimes I sleep better when I exercise, and sometimes I don't. Usually exercise helps to relieve stress, so it may be that exercise indirectly helps from that perspective. But for me, if my stress level happens to be a littler higher I haven't found exercise to be able to overcome the effects from stress. Pretty much every day I wake up and feel tired in the morning, even though I get about 7-7.5 hours of sleep a night. This is with going to bed when I'm tired and waking up naturally.

  • angelamary61
    angelamary61 Posts: 97 Member
    Exercise or not, I sleep terribly. Have done for so long and it is so frustrating.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Don't work out too late, your body needs time to relax. For sleep: move your computers to a different room than your bedroom, get rid of all those blue and red lights from electronic equipment (and tv, clocks, microwave, phone, etc.), turn of the tv and computers at least an hour before you go to bed, stop caffeine earlier...
  • dinagurl59
    dinagurl59 Posts: 41 Member
    breemarkmais wrote: »
    Hi all.. straight forward question.. do you sleep better on the days (nights) you've worked out?
    My insomnia is getting bad. (I have an 8mth old who has me up every cpl hrs during the night, but still, even when I can sleep.. I cant.)
    & those who do sleep better, is that because ur physically exhausted or because its helped clear ur head a bit?

    Im only managing to exercise late evenings at the mo & if anything its making it worse because I feel energised after lol.
    Thoughts?

    Hi,
    I find that I sleep better after a workout and even better the next night... I have been tracking my sleep with my misfit shine tracker and find that since I have been active I am logging better rest...
  • ScottDowell
    ScottDowell Posts: 95 Member
    edited September 2015
    You can workout anytime. If you feel fresh and energized, don't stop your workout routines but would be great if you do exercise in the morning. You will be get into routine after a few days. If you have sleeping issue, you can try some pills like Ambien generic.
    Help me in getting good sleep.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,399 Member
    breemarkmais wrote: »
    After reading that back I think iv just answered my own question.. gotta make the effort to exercise in the a.m :/

    Good catch. Your later mention of Yoga might be a good idea though.


    I usually sleep better after some exercise, but timing is everything. Some stuff just keeps me a little too jacked up to go to sleep any time soon after. I am somewhat by nature a night owl type, and ridding myself of that habit was hard. I went through a period with some anxiety/PTSD issues and that made things worse, but later evening yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises helped me getting a better nights sleep.

    But experiment and see what works best for you. Some people can go lift weights heavy, clean up, and fall right to sleep.

  • Jokersurv
    Jokersurv Posts: 75 Member
    I've tried both nights and days and have not seen any improvement in my sleep. They say exercise is supposed to help but I'm not seeing it
  • MogMog_2
    MogMog_2 Posts: 62 Member
    Thanks all. Sorry to hear a lot of you are sleep deprived night owls too.. but nice to know im not alone ;)
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    edited September 2015
    Had terrible sleep problems for a double of months this year. After trying quite a few things, I actually put it down to not eating enough.

    When your body gets too low on blood sugar, it causes your stress hormones to spike in the middle of the night (and therefore wake you up).

    Increased my calories - problem solved!

    If that fails, I would also recommend melatonin tablets to get you back into a good pattern. :)
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
    sarahsamuels82 wrote: »
    Had terrible sleep problems for a double of months this year. After trying quite a few things, I actually put it down to not eating enough.

    When your body gets too low on blood sugar, it causes your stress hormones to spike in the middle of the night (and therefore wake you up).

    Increased my calories - problem solved!

    If that fails, I would also recommend melatonin tablets to get you back into a good pattern. :)

    In that case, did you feel hungry when you woke up in the middle of the night? Or just waking up for a few seconds and then went back to sleep? I'm trying to figure out what else, except real stress, could also interfere with my sleep & this could be one!

    Thanks for sharing! :blush:
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    No I never really felt hungry. I would just wake up and not be able to sleep. Just felt wide awake! It's only really when I read up on it that the penny dropped.

    Something to do with the adrenal gland and cortisol.

    Do you wake with a racing mind? Or is it just 'oh look I'm awake again' ?

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