Sleep problems

[Paganini]

I have trouble sleeping enough. I was always a bad sleeper, I always twisted and turned in bed for long before falling asleep. I got used to stay up until 2-3 AM, and even then I'd wake up at 10 AM. Lately I tried to adjust this. I tried to force myself to go to sleep early (11-12), but then I'm just lying in my bed for hours, without falling asleep.

This is terribly frustrating as I'm really working hard in my workouts and do everything to eat good, and the simplest thing thwarts my attempts. Did any of you have similar problems? What should I do? I don't want to take pills.

[leadchipmunk]

I'm right there with you. I'm usually up til 3 or 4, and lately it has been closer to 5 or 6 before I go to bed. Normally wake anywhere between 10 and 4.

It seems like you need to get right around 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Are you disliking that you are going to bed at 3am? Or the fact that you wake as late as 10?

If you have a problem with going to bed so late, try adjusting what time you wake up. Do not have a set bedtime.

If you want to normally sleep around midnight, then set your alarm for 8am and just go to sleep when your body wants to. This is important, listen to your body. At first, your sleep schedule will be thrown off and the first night you may only get 4 hours of sleep or so. The next night, you may be tired at 8pm. But over time it will adjust itself to your necessary amount of sleep and you'll be sleeping earlier and waking earlier. After that, if you still don't like when you normally go to sleep, adjust the wake time an hour or so at a time until you are more comfortable.

[Paganini]

Well, I didn't care for going to sleep late until I started working out... It only bothers me because sometimes I wake up after only 6-7 hours of sleep. I feel rested and I don't feel I need more sleep, but I fear this may not be enough for muscle recovery. That's the only reason I care.

[leadchipmunk]

I'm not 100% on this, but if your body says that you've got enough sleep (and therefore naturally wakes you up), it seems to me that you have gotten enough for full muscle recovery. If you needed more, you would have gotten more.

[Paganini]

Well, it's much more relaxing to think of it this way.

[BarefootDawsy]

I agree with chip...listen to your body.

Also, if you want to be able to go to sleep earlier try waking up at a specified time every morning. At first it will be hard to get up but you will likely find that you have an easier rime going to sleep that night.

Also, no blue light before bed (TV, computer, iPad, etc), no caffeine after ~3pm and have an early dinner.

Hope this helps.

[Daetris]

There are some people who naturally need less sleep; you may simply be one of them. If the specific *hours* that you're sleeping bother you (i.e. you need to be getting to bed/getting up early for whatever reason), then try leadchipmunk's suggestions.

[thatgirljj]

I do have similar problems, but it's seasonal for me, it's only really bad during the hottest months of the year. For whatever reason, even if I run the AC, I don't sleep well when it's hot out... and it's been that way since I was 8 or 9.

Honestly, it looks like you're getting 7-8 hours sleep, so that's generally pretty good, not everyone actually needs a full 8 hours. But I can understand that it's a rough schedule for things like work and school (unless you do shift work). And tossing and turning is never fun.

First off, I'm going to direct you to some general guidelines on sleep hygiene.

OK... so my suggestions. I've generally found it more helpful to try to wake up earlier rather than go to sleep earlier. So for a couple of weeks set your alarm to 9:30 and then maybe to 9. And as soon as I get up, I exercise. Right away. Yup, I know, it's tough, you're tired and you're probably already running late. Just do it, as high intensity as you can manage for maybe 10-20 minutes. I find this helps reset my body to think "Hey, I need to really be AWAKE around now." And don't skip breakfast. You really want to send your body the message that it's time to wake up and get going. Then at night, unwind, maybe do some gentle bedtime yoga or stretching, don't eat dinner too late or snack in the 2 hours before bed. Turn off the TV by about 11 or 12, and see if you can get to sleep 1/2 hour or an hour earlier.

And I would disagree with leadchipmunk. In our modern world it certainly *is* possible that insomnia could be interrupting your sleep enough to impair recovery. In an ideal world if you're eating really healthy and eating on a good schedule and don't consume any caffeine and don't look at any electronic screens after sunset, then maybe if you're waking up late it's fine and natural and OK for strength development and recovery. But you're probably habitually doing things that are bothering your sleep and your body is not always wise enough to prioritize recovery over whatever else it's working on.

-jj

[Paganini]

Thanks for the responses, I'll try turning off the computer earlier than I used to. Most of the time I close my laptop and go straight to bed, I'll try shutting it earlier, and maybe read a book before sleeping. We'll see if this helps.

[Gobnait]

I'm running F.lux to shift the color-balance of my monitor at sunset. It doesn't seem to be helping much, but my sleep schedule has been constantly disrupted by pre-dawn activity. Some time between 4-6 is normal rousing for me, 9 is being decadent or the result of eating breakfast during the 3am alertness. Candles are a way to generate non-blue light.

I often use the laptop and tvshows to keep me occupied while in pre-sleep, and to keep me from hating the world when 3am alertness doesn't allow me sit upright. Podcasts, lectures, and talk radio would probably be a better choice since they generate no light.

[Darian]

I have faced similar problem 2 years ago.This was so frustrated condition for me.It made me mentally sick.

When I laid down on bed my mind got stuck in useless thoughts.But it was difficult for me to get rid from these thoughts.

Then I did strong determination to overcome this problem with the help of my physician.Some tips for this problem which I also used.

Good diet,use of light foods.Use of milk before to bed.

Do exercise on daily basis.Don't skip morning walk it is so good for your mental and physical health.

Avoid smoking and any kind of alcohol.

[Maleficarum]

i try to take my vitamins (except the Bs) an hour before bed. Both the omega-3s and the magnesium are said to help induce restful sleep. For me, B vitamins, are ONLY taken in the morning, or i am wired.

[Relic]

I have the opposite problem. I can go to sleep pretty much whenever but I usually feel like I didn't get enough sleep, even after several 8hour nights and some naps. Waking up rested twice in a week is a good week for me.

Not helpful, I know.

I am very slow to notice them, and even slower to implement them, but foods that make me get lower quality sleep are smple sugars, flour (especially my homemade pizza dough) and generally overeating a few hours before bed.

If I were you I really wouldn't worry about it too much unless you don't feel rested or your lifting progress stalls prematurely.

[leadchipmunk]

I have the opposite problem. I can go to sleep pretty much whenever but I usually feel like I didn't get enough sleep, even after several 8hour nights and some naps. Waking up rested twice in a week is a good week for me.

Have you considered that you get too much sleep? oversleeping and undersleeping can give pretty much the same feelings of unrest.

[Relic]

No, I don't think it's that because if I get under 7.5 hours of sleep consistently I get a sore throat that will turn into a cold if I let it.

I have a sneaking (but more and more obvious) suspicion that I should upgrade my diet from somewhat above average to really good.

I also have the tendency to push my workouts really hard and stress out at work, so those probably are contributors as well.

Or maybe I'm just one of those people who thrive on 9-10 hours a night. (but I'll never know for sure, because I have a kid now)

Oh well, I still haven't given up. (and still working up the courage to try paleo)