We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Nightmares after exercise

saraholiviacuomo
Posts: 2 Member
I know this might be a dumb question, but is anyone else experiencing nightmares after exercising that day?
I've started and 8 week program and have been lifting a lot of weights. I've just started my second week and I've noticed since ive started that I have been having nightmares on days I lift the most.
Most of them involve me running away from someome who is trying to kill me (run me down in a car, stab me, shoot me...you name it). Really scary stuff. I will wake up with my heart racing and that "ugh" feeling in the pit of my stomach. Also feeling really anxious and paranoid once i wake up and I find it really hard to get back to sleep (usually right back into a nightmare again).
I workout somewhere between 3pm-6pm most days, hardly ever after 5pm though. I won't go to bed until 11pm or so and have a calm afternoon.
Today I did a bit of overkill because I am late starting this week with my exercises so I "doubled up" on doing legs and shoulders today....and then went for the trifecta and did abs as well. 330pm until around 530pm.
I'm normally never a paranoid or anxious person and I've rarely ever had bad dreams in the past so this is why I'm curious if it has something to do with the extra...whatever I am accumulating from lifting weights. I havn't changed my diet too much from what I was doing before I started this program and I'm not taking any supplements or steroids, just your run of the mill lifting.
Am I the only one experiencing something like this?
I've started and 8 week program and have been lifting a lot of weights. I've just started my second week and I've noticed since ive started that I have been having nightmares on days I lift the most.
Most of them involve me running away from someome who is trying to kill me (run me down in a car, stab me, shoot me...you name it). Really scary stuff. I will wake up with my heart racing and that "ugh" feeling in the pit of my stomach. Also feeling really anxious and paranoid once i wake up and I find it really hard to get back to sleep (usually right back into a nightmare again).
I workout somewhere between 3pm-6pm most days, hardly ever after 5pm though. I won't go to bed until 11pm or so and have a calm afternoon.
Today I did a bit of overkill because I am late starting this week with my exercises so I "doubled up" on doing legs and shoulders today....and then went for the trifecta and did abs as well. 330pm until around 530pm.
I'm normally never a paranoid or anxious person and I've rarely ever had bad dreams in the past so this is why I'm curious if it has something to do with the extra...whatever I am accumulating from lifting weights. I havn't changed my diet too much from what I was doing before I started this program and I'm not taking any supplements or steroids, just your run of the mill lifting.
Am I the only one experiencing something like this?
0
Replies
-
whilst it isn't common I don't think its extremely rare. speaking to a doc is the best advice but if you cant for whatever reason I would try working out in the morning rather than 3-6pm. Anxiety is often described as the flight or fight response going into overdrive which is effectively primed by adrenaline but I have a limited understanding of endocrinology.
Do you have diabetes/bp or blood sugar issues by any chance?1 -
Could be that due to exercise you're sleeping deeper ?
0 -
OP how strange - I have been experiencing more dreams than usual after starting exercise!!
They aren't nightmares as such but I find they are vivid and I wake more often. The only other experience I have had which is comparable was when I started on Citalopram (again, people report nightmares, but I had beautiful dreams).
Maybe it's just a change in the body, more muscle pain or whatever, that keeps you in REM sleep/otherwise disrupts your deep sleep?
1 -
Waking up each morning in Toronto is a nightmare0
-
MrStabbems wrote: »whilst it isn't common I don't think its extremely rare. speaking to a doc is the best advice but if you cant for whatever reason I would try working out in the morning rather than 3-6pm. Anxiety is often described as the flight or fight response going into overdrive which is effectively primed by adrenaline but I have a limited understanding of endocrinology.
Do you have diabetes/bp or blood sugar issues by any chance?
I will talk to my doctor for sure. No issues with diabetes, bp or blood sugar. "Leg day" seems to bring it on mote than others... Weird...0 -
I'm married.
Nightmares are a way of life.0 -
Probably depleted of magnesium.
You tend to lose minerals through perspiration. Take a multi and see if it helps or step your nutrition up.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.5K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 260.5K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 444 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4.1K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.3K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.8K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions