Tall_Tim

Hey guys,

I used to be ready for bed at 10 - 10:30 each night, be up at 6:00 to workout or do some housework and ride my mountain bike to be at work 10 mins before start time to enjoy a cup of coffee before I started. Now its a complete turnaround.
I go to bed and wake up at 12:40 or 1:30am and BING! Wide awake ready to do a days work, and not being able to doze off until 4:30 or 5. Makes things problematic when I have to be at work by 8:00am. No point in trying to stay awake after I wake and try go to work on 3-4 hours sleep. Then I have huge issues getting up and going for a few hours after waking from my broken sleep and then face the problem again the next night. Ive been late to work twice this week because of it. Its causing problems with my mood and my concentration too. Even as I type this, its 10:50pm and I'm not the least bit tired. Im ready to do a second workout (not that the neighbours would be to impressed from the noise of loading weights or music at this time)
Ive tried several things to change my sleep pattern including:

- Changed position of my bed so light does not come through from the streetlight outside. (No effect)
- Going to bed earlier (however all this did was leave my laying awake for longer then suffering the same problem a short time later)
- Not eating an hour and a half before bed.
- Sleeping tablets (don't work)
- Working out during the evening and eating a larger meal after work at 5:30ish then working out at 8:30ish and having protein shake and light meal after workout (Dont know why I tried this, if anything the late meal would make it worse)
- Reading while lying in bed for a while then turning of the light when I get drowsy.

I'm seriously thinking of seeing a specialist, but if anyone here has any ideas on how to get to sleep and stay asleep I would greatly appreciate it. As much as I like jokes, please dont suggest smoking pot or anything like that.

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puff

i had some sleep problems a few years ago and did see a specialist. really all i got told was i'm healthy...here are some tips to get a good nights sleep but a lot of it's confidence. unless you have a mediacl condition i'm not sure there's a whole lot a sleep specialist will be able to give you other than an analysis of your sleeping pattern (if you go to hospital for a sleep study) and some tips that you could probably get off the internet.

try google and here's a few things based on what i was told i'd try...

stick to your normal / desired bed time - even if you are not tired and stay there until you go to sleep. You sound like you don't want your normal time to become after midnight.

don't workout too close to bedtime.

many people who have sleep issues find reading one of the worst things as it stimulates their mind not relaxes it.

if you have a clock that you can see from where you lie in bed, hide or remove it.

if you have other stressors that may be taking up headspace deal with them first - ie fix the problem not the symptom.

Admin

i used to do nightshift so had some weird sleeping patterns , the best way that i found to get to sleep was to lay in bed close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing , clear my mind take a deep breath in hold then breath out , don't think about falling asleep just let it happen

reading books/watching tv keeps the mind stimulated

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Christian

I took 2 valium last night at 12pm did nothing , didnt sleep till 5am was in bed at 1030.

And its random... find a cure let me know

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Kyle Aaron

Tim, have a look at your training and diet.

If you're not training much, a bit more could tire you out as you need. But if you're overtraining, that can (ironically) make you sleepless. And consider the food you're eating, if there are plenty of fresh fruit and vegies, not too much sugar and coffee and so on.

Maybe you've gone through all this, but it might be worth having a food and physical activity (not just official training, but walks to the train station or whatever) journal. After a couple of weeks you can look back through it, maybe a certain combination of training and food is good or bad for your sleep.

Aside from that, often sleeplessness has to do with some unresolved issues in your life. Your mind's keeping you awake because there's something you need to sort out. You may not really be conscious of it. For example, I was sleepless before my wedding last year, was there an issue? Well, I was happy to be marrying her, but there were unresolved issues on both sides of the family... but when I was lying awake with my mind racing, it wasn't that came to mind, but lots of other sht instead.

Now we're happily married and I sleep like a log

Something to consider, anyway.

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GHOSTrun

Train in the evening so you are physically exhausted, then eat a big dinner, then shower and go to bed.

Try and make your room as dark & as quiet as possible.

Glass or 3 of wine, no joke.


Ultimately if it's not environmental it will be from stressors on your mind.
- work problems
- money issues
- relationships
- family
- etc

Tall_Tim

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Ive been having a rest period for the last 3 weeks. Not training too hard, but hard enough to maintain. I like to sleep early and get up early, but it just doesnt happen at the moment. There are issues I have to deal with in regards to work that are probably nagging at the back of my mind that I didnt take into account.

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lazy

A specialist told me this and it works on me, not too sure on everyone else.

Milk
Listen- This helps your mind to shut down, despite what some people think complete silence makes you think, it even was a form of turture.
Think of something that has nothing to do with your issues or problems, nothing that stresses you, like I have this mad idea for a snipper movie plot I would like to direct so i keep thinking of scenes that could turn out in the movie.

Before going to bed think of your problems in a positive light, nobody is perfect and shit happens, etc. there is time for improvement, that sort of stuff.

When it comes to work outs mine starts at 8:00pm and I need to bed in bed at 10:00pm, a oats/milk/cottage cheese milk before going to bed helps, try to shower in cold water.

dzilla

Could be too much caffeine from all the cofee. Do you drink energy drinks like redbull etc during the day? Try not to have any sugar (including fruit) after 5pm.

MrB83

I usually weight train at night after 6pm and before 11pm.Due to work hours and other commitments.But once i finish my training i have a few glasses of water and cool down before i go to sleep and i usually have a great sleep after.

Also i heard that training at night is good because whilst your asleep your muscles are still working up to 4hrs after your workout????correct me if im wrong but yeah...