Unable to sleep at night.

LoFoSho
LoFoSho Posts: 11
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't get it! I can't seem to get to bed at night even when my body feels tired!! Last night I went to kickboxing and came home and felt like I would have no problem sleeping. 1 am rolls around and I find myself tossing and turning in my bed and unable to just relax myself. Do you guys have any tips??

Replies

  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Too much high intensity exercise too close to bed time? I need a minimum of 3 hours to unwind before heading for bed!

    I've been suffering a nasty bout of poor sleep lately. I'm exhausted too! And getting my 3 hours between exercise and sleep. I have tried hot showers, light yoga, taking pain killer, taking melatonin, no caffeine after 3pm, no food 2 hours prior to bed time, 30 minutes of quiet time before trying to sleep. I have excellent sleep hygiene habits, because I fight with poor sleep a lot. Maybe something here will work for you?
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Ugh insomnia is the worst, I've had bouts of it but fortunately they've never lasted long.

    Vipassana meditation helps... but then, what doesn't meditation help?

    I found improving my sleep hygiene did improve the insomnia. Turning the TV off an hour before bed, clean sheets, a quiet fan to provide air flow and white noise, a cup of chamomile tea, a shower before bed, last meal a couple of hours before bed etc. They sound like dumb little things but they worked for me when put together...
  • LoFoSho
    LoFoSho Posts: 11
    All these suggestions are making me sleepy at my desk!! UGHH I can't wait to go home and lay down....
  • pomme100
    pomme100 Posts: 5
    I agree wit the other posts. Meditation and yoga are great suggestions. To help me sleep I've found I cannot have caffeine after 3 or 4 pm. If I have tea with supper, it has to be decaf. I try finish exercising at least 1-2 hours before bed. Turn off the computer and/or TV at least one hour prior to bedtime and probably read for the 30 minutes prior to bedtime - it helps relax the mind and body whereas the computer or TV stimulates the senses. Taking melatonin at bedtime for a few consecutive days often helps get the body on track again. Good luck zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
  • hazleyes81
    hazleyes81 Posts: 296 Member
    Exercising too close to bedtime or overexercising in general can cause insomnia.

    I agree with Pomme100. Make sure you workout ends at least a few hours before bed and you aren't watching tv right before bed. Make sure there aren't any distracting lights in the room (even the alarm clock numbers).

    Make sure you have a steady sleep schedule. Try to get up close to the same time every day, even on days when you don't have to. It really helps.
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    If I drink caffeine in the afternoon or evening, I wake up at about 1 or 2 AM and lie awake.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Meditation really does help! However, I'm still suffering. LOL. I'm just a super stubborn case. No doctor has been able to figure it out. Even had a real-deal sleep study done. Not that it was easy to sleep in a strange bed with all sorts of wires attached to me. I really think it has more to do with the changing over to daylight savings time. I'm all screwy for 1 to 2 months afterwards.

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