overexercising and insomnia

[joanna]

Is there a link? I should fall asleep easily - I do 2 hours commute a day, plus in the summer a 20 minute swim - but instead I lay awake for hours, even when I take a sleeping tablet. Do any of you have the same problem?

So far tried acupuncture, sleeping pills, going to bed later... nothing works. Getting desperate now - I'm exhausted!

Who else has the same problem?

 

[fossyant]

I'm not sure the exercise should be preventing you sleep. Do you watch when/what you eat and drink in the evening ?

My lack of sleep has been down to a shoulder injury. I've been sleeping much better recently, but only because I take medication for nerve pain (as a result of the accident/shoulder injury) which has the side effect of making you drowsy, so can only be taken in the evening. If I don't take it, then I'm wide awake.

 

[twobiker]

Sometimes lack of sleep can be because your mind cannot switch off from the days events, so I try winding down before bed,turn off the TV ,and maybe a Malty drink, I also got a sleep sound from SP*T**Y ,there are about twenty of them, rolling waves, etc which blank out other sound works for me anyway.

 

[Trevrev]

I've been an insomniac for years.
I just don't let it get me down anymore.......I find the more i fight to get to sleep the worse it is.
I just try to stay calm..........even if i don't get to sleep until the early hours, i find i'm less tired just by not fighting it!
I could suggest self loving ! That sometimes works......
Is it wrong saying that to a lady?????

 

[HLaB]

I'm not a sleep specialist but I've had some things on my mind all week and haven't been able to sleep, I also haven't been on the bike since the 90 miles with the club on Sunday, I went out for 45miles last night and that's the best I've slept in ages. Draw your own conclusions, it may be exercise helps me sleep or it could just be the lack of sleep catching up on me

 

[Rob3rt]

One of the symptms of chronic overtraining is difficulty sleeping. But there could be many causes.

I have had sleep problems for years in various levels of intensity, my best solution is to find a good balance between exercise and relaxation, having good nutriational habits and then to ensure I have a wind down time before bed, typically I do the same thing each day before bed, then lay in bed, I tend to contract and relax my muscles a few times to try to becomes relaxed in my body, and then I listen to a body scan or breathing led meditation and usually wake up needing a piss in the middle of the night with a headphone cable wrapped around my neck.

 

[albion]

Logically an efficient body system needs much a lot less sleep.So maybe you need to plan for less and this might allow for quality sleep.