sleeping immediately after exercising

The logic doesnt make any sense, unless you are sleeping during times when you would normally be awake. For example, if you take an afternoon nap, the total calories burned during the nap would be less than if you were awake, moving, talking, etc... So if your awake 14 hours each day and spend one of them working out it shouldnt matter when you sleep.

I always work out in the evenings and it has never adversely affected me. I even read somewhere that you get a greater burn during sleep if you did HIIT. Last year when I lost so much weight, I was always working out and then going to bed within an hour and it didn't hurt anything

I've tried working out first thing in the morning, but I can't do it. Not if I want to be able to function at work.

It's simple. Working out makes me sleepy. I workout 7pm or later, go home, eat, get ready for bed then pass out.

I always have my best nights sleep on the nights I work out. I don't feel like it's cancelling itself out when I do this, but whatever.

At the end of the day, I've still worked out so, really, how much damage can sleeping after you've taxed your body be??

Until someone can show me scientific proof along with studies that sleeping post-workout is truly a hinderance, I'll do what my body prefers me to do.

3 nights a week I work out at 10:00PM or later and then go to bed after my shower. I still get results so I see no truth in what you were told.

I'm with everyone else. That doesn't make any sense.

Of course you're going to burn more calories if you continue walking, moving around, etc. than if you're lying motionless in your bed. But does that mean the calories you burned during a workout somehow go back onto your body... uh, no.

I've read some research about how, after an intense workout, some people will decrease the amount of activity they do the rest of the day, so their total calorie burn is less than if they hadn't worked out (effectively negating the workout). However, if taking a short nap gives you enough energy to do your regular stuff for the rest of the day, then you're fine. Or if you nap when you'd normally be sleeping. But if you do a great workout--hard or intense-- at 8 am, then nap the rest of the morning away, and watch tv all afternoon because you're too tired to move, instead of your normal activities (of course, if these are your normal activities, you aren't negating your workout), I could see how that could be twisted into "negating" the workout. At least in terms of total calories burned.

I always work out in the evening around 7....after I'm done I eat dinner and after that I just crash. It has never had any adverse affect on me

Actually.. On the contrary... I was wondering about sleeping right after cardio... But both times it worked in my favor.. I've been running every morning for about 2 months... My weight drops but at a steady rate. Yesterday, like any other day, wake up, hit the treadmill, HIIT style, come home and continue my day... Of course using the fitness pal calorie counter to make sure I stay within my weight goal. Yesterday morning before my treadmilling, I weighed myself and then again after treadmilling, then again yesterday night before bed, then again first thing this morning before treadmilling. The scale showed the same weight, and my omron showed that I was 22.8% body fat. However this morning, after my HIIT on treadmill, I got home showered and then went back to sleep for about 45 min before it was time to get ready for work. I haven't eaten yet... I stepped on the scale and the weight seemed to have dropped quite a bit.. Like half a pound... My omron also dropped to 21.2 % body fat. I'm not sure why? Could it really be the after burn after HiIT is better during that 45min nap ? I'm gonna try it this new routine for the next couple of weeks to see if it was just an anomaly or if it having that nap really have an effect.

I have the same question as yours. I have no time for a day since working and studying and got back home for 10. So I did 30 minutes workout (weight lifting /dumbell) then I sleep

OP, your PE professor is an idiot. Full stop.

You're not spinning your wheels. You're still accomplishing your goals if you rest/sleep/nap right after. Similar to the, "Should I not eat before bed?" your body does not go into a coma-like stasis when you sleep; it's still working, repairing, replenishing.

The "don't exercise before bed" mantra has more to do with some people getting disrupted sleep from elevated blood pressure, heart rate, etc. Obviously, not everyone has sleep issues.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Well ive also been told that.. i workout 2hrs per day 6 days per week. I come home after my stretch, have lunch and sleep for a couple hours EVERY TIME. I have gone from 45% body fat to 13.6% body fat doing this. I dont know if there is any truth to it but it sure hasnt stopped me from benefiting. When i wake up from my nap everyday i can feel that ive worked out HARD but i feel recovered and rested and WONDERFUL. I say listen to your body and stay connected with your healthcare professional and keep he or she informed of these things. You will be fine.

big time zombie thread

Does eating help the tiredness? I can get really tired and food will get me going again. This is often the case on the weekend as I forget to eat.

but I still get this urge to want to take a nap after cooling my body down and stretching after a hard workout.

Your professor is talking rubbish, but one thing I would say, is this an almost unstoppable urge to sleep in that you just crash and burn? If you are experiencing this, it would be worth going to your GP and getting checked over. I had this and it turned out to be a symptom of anaemia and malabsorption caused by GI issues. My body was so stressed and imbalanced by the food absorption problems that the exercise was pushing it over the edge of tolerance.