Sleeping after Training ?

Piggymon

Piggymon

Piggymon

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Just wondered if anyone could give me a little bit of advice - I don't feel this is a medical thread but if it's deemed to be then please close

Monday nights when I do my training I do 1 hour of Body Attack ( Hi/Lo Aerobics ) followed by 1 hour of Legs,Bums & Tums which is an hour of sqauts, crunches etc and it's hard work ! .. I don't finish until 9pm so by the time I get home it's 9.20 ish

In the week I tend to go bed by 10pm .. watch TV, have a natter etc etc and normally fall asleep by about 11pm. I get up at about 7.30/8am the next morning and if I don't get about 8 hours sleep I feel really tired.

The Monday night is my latest training night and I'm really struggling to get to sleep before about midnight .. I end up laying in bed just twiddling my thumbs - presumably because my adrenaline is still pumping from the exercise

Can anyone suggest anything to help ? I don't want to take any tablets ... I'm looking for more of a nice natural way to relax and enable me to get some sleep !!

Thanks in Advance :)
 
apart from sex i cant think of anything else natural (things like kalms etc are a waste of money) :p ,as a supplement i use and would recomend GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) powder around 1 hr before bedtime,seems to help me sleep better,Phenibut is similar to gaba and is supposed to be better tho its not long been over here and few places stock it.
 
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watching tv and chatting are not good ways to relax before bed, try a book or listening to music.
 
I used to get this when I was playing competetive ice hockey as I would get in about the same time as you do.

My advice would be to try and not eat late as I for one cannot digest food well when laying down and it renues my energy levels too much!

Also have a very hot shower just before you get into bed, I found that this relaxed my muscles ready for sleep.

And resist the temptation to turn the computer on as you will end up spending hours hunched over it!

Good luck!
 
Eating a meal with simple carbs after your workout will cause an insulin effect and trigger sleepiness. Also simple carbs along with a bit of protein are perfect after a hard workout and will help you recover much faster ;)

Also I know you said you don't want to take any tablets but you might want to consider taking the supplement ZMA. It's just Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 so just natural minerals, nothing herbal or medicinal. I take it when I know I'm not going to be able to get enough sleep. I've given some to many friends (men & women) who were having trouble with sleep, most went out and bought their own!

Really does make you sleep deeply, even after just 4 hours I feel like I've had enough sleep... be prepared for the vivid dreams though :D

Also I always find reading a book helps me drop off.
 
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Just try having a hot shower or bath, usually relaxes me and helps me sleep easier when I get in from the gym.

I know you said you didnt want to take anything, but if I could reccomend one thing it would be ZMA, as Chong Warrior mentioned its only a combination of minerals that your body needs for rest and recovery, its all natural and is very good. I take it when im out late and it cant be helped or when im doing exams etc. Works a treat.
 
chamomille tea, knocks me out and makes me sleep like a baby. make it with loose leaves and flowers from someone like neals yard, not tea bags which are all flakey and dusty. take it when you get in and within the hour your lids'll be drooping ;)
 
ten till eight? thats ten hours sleep? no wonder you're not dropping off to sleep right away... you're not tired enough.

you should only be in bed when you're tired... if you stay in bed for an hour or what ever before sleeping... your body associates it with things other than sleep and its harder to shut off.
 
I like my sleep :/

We normally go to bed to watch TV because it's comfier than watching it on the sofa :o

I'll try just going to bed when I'm tired on a Monday maybe - the other nights I'm fine

Thanks for all your help :)
 
The reason you can not sleep is indeed the adrenaline pumping. There is NOTHING (exept time) that can make you calm again because you are OVERTRAINING, two hours of aerobic activity is too much, just do one hour, preferably the earlier session and do another class later in the week.
Avoid tea and such because this contains caffeine which will make you more awake and also dehydrates you (another reason why you maybe awake), hot showers are detrimental because it further hydrates and taxes the already 'hot' muscles.

Your sleeping pattern is regular and ingrained, exercising too close to bedtime is a reason why your notgoing to sleep, your body maybe winding down then you exercise, this is straining an already taxed system, thus heightened adrenaline levels etc...

EDIT: What are your sleeping patterns generally on Sunday nights? If you are tired from the day before this would exagerate the problems you are having.
 
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The reason I'm doing the LB&T class after the Attack is to try and avoid spending more evenings down the gym :/

Sunday nights I'm normally asleep at normal time - about 11pm

bah :p guess I'll just have to try and live with it :)
 
pugster said:
apart from sex i cant think of anything else
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Best see someone about that matey, can take over your life!

Time is the only natural process, quite right not to take pills or stupid supplements! How about reading a book, or prolonging your natters, etc? :)
 
zain said:
Time is the only natural process, quite right not to take pills or stupid supplements! How about reading a book, or prolonging your natters, etc? :)
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Agreed, pill popping is not only a waste of money but certain vitamins in high doses can be toxic. High doses of B6, for example, have been proven to irreversably damage nerve endings.
 
I know there's a lot of "pill hating" in this thread but ZMA does work. I know this doesn't apply to you Piggy but if your a bloke try it with tribulus for super crazy dreams!! ;)
 
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