Exercise-induced insomnia?

maverick2

maverick2

New member
For the last week or so, ever since beginning heavy military training, I've developed the weirdest kind of early rising insomnia. I've never had insomnia in my life, barring an early morning occasionally after heavy drinking, due to dehydration and a disrupted sleep cycle.

I've been going to bed much earlier than usual. Before I started exercising, I would mess around all night and drop into bed about 11:30PM-1:00AM. But now that I'm working out constantly, I'm actually tired, so I've been in bed at 9:30PM-10:30PM.

My problem comes later. I'll fall asleep with very little effort, but like clockwork every night (directly after my "first" dream) I wake up, usually around 3AM-3:30AM. I've tried pushing myself to stay up later ('til 11PM) to see if that helps.

Last night I took a strong prescription Lunesta from my mother and it did absolutely nothing. I was up at 3:27AM like clockwork. But I didn't feel groggy or tired, even though I should have been in the middle of an eight hour drug cycle.

I felt alert and refreshed, and had to force myself to go back to sleep, because I only got five hours and I have never, EVER been a person who has been able to survive on five hours of sleep (I've always been strictly an 8 hours+ kinda gal), so I was afraid five hours would effect my performance.

After getting back to sleep (which took about a half hour effort) I slept until 8:30 AM and had another dream. I'm averaging two long and vivid, but not lucid, dreams a night now.

I don't feel tired, but the aftereffects of the Lunesta have left me a little...foggy, after forcing myself back to sleep.

Has anyone ever ran into this problem, or knows a cause? I've heard of late evening exercise inducing sleep difficulty when falling asleep because of raised core temperature and tachycardia, but this early waking stuff is really, really weird.

And apparently immune to even heavy medication.

If my body only needs five hours a sleep now due to changing hormone levels or something, that's chill I guess. But I don't want to walk around zombie-fied from sleep deprivation, either.

So what's up with that?
 
Maverick,

I experienced some form of sleelessness when I first started training hard. And now, to this day, when I train at night (after 5pm) I have a hard time falling asleep. My boyfriend seems to think it has something to do with a raised metabolism and, like you said, raised core temperature. I don't know what it is, but I basically can't work out at night, period. I'll ask my trainer, but some knowledgeable person might get back to you on here before she gets back to me.

I wonder if maybe you've just got a lot on your mind?

-Tamara
 
I love sleep & dreams. I'm no sleep expert, but I play one on TV.

I gotta agree. If you can avoid working out in the evening (if you are) then you may wanna try that.

Regardless, I wouldn't add sleeping drugs to the equation as long as you are able to get at least 3 hours of sleep after you fall back to sleep. Except for napping, you should get at least 4.5 hours the first time you sleep, then after that get sleep in 1.5 hour blocks (the more blocks, the better).

Here is what I would try... Journal everything: when you workout, when you eat, when your last cup of caffeinated beverage is, when you go to bed, when you wake up... Try at least one night of NOT going back to sleep after you wake up at 3AM, journal your energy the next day and whether or not you wake up AGAIN the next night at 3AM.

If the new you only needs 6 hours of sleep, that would be fairly awesome, unless you have cool dreams and love a fair amount of sleep...?
 
Haha, I DO have pretty cool dreams, actually.

Thanks for the advice, guys. Today I actually didn't wake up until 4:30AM (Instead of 3AM or 3:30AM), and then it was only a moment or two before I fell back asleep until 8:30AM.

Either my body is adjusting to the level of exercise I'm getting, or it was a fluke. I worked out in the morning yesterday, and not in the evening, so that might have had something to do with it.

I'm going to head to the gym tonight though because I didn't get my weight sets in this morning (had to run off to class) so we'll see tonight I guess. If I don't sleep through, it's evening exercise. If I do, it's hormonal adjustment. :D
 
It can be any number of things. Body adjustment, body repair, caffeine, digestion (food or water/bladder), late workouts, or even your apt/house heating system turning on (if you have it set to say 65 degrees at night and 70 degrees in the morning). So I would be hesitant to caulk it up to one thing. Regardless, it's good you fell right back to sleep!
 
I'm curious--does any hunger accompany your insomnia? How's your caloric intake? I'm noticing similar insomnia when I cut calories (to a range 1800-2000). I've not begun heavy exercise yet, but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with a calorie deficit.
 
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momusicman,

What are you eating for dinner? Are you drinking caffeine after 4pm? How long before you go to bed do you drink your last water?


I got up at 3:43am this past morning and it took 30 minutes for me to fall back asleep (I stayed in bed). It was after my second consequetive workout in a long time. My workout was at 7pm. I also ate 10 oz of steamed spinach at about 8pm and that was fooling with my stomach.
 
I wish I could say my exercise is causing that....for more years than I can remember I go to bed around 9-10 and wake up every stinking morning at 3, I fall back asleep easily...and sleep good until the alarm goes off at 430...but then by 2 in the afternoon Im extremely sleepy (THAT bit has changed with the exercising though)

They made me take a sleep study once and Im one of those odd people that skips sleep stages....I start dreaming after being asleep for 5 minutes and dream all nite long...they guy studying me said it was really interesting to watch.

I love dreaming lol sometimes I nap just to see what I'll dream

I hope it works out for you soon.....coming from someone thats done that all their adult life....it gets really annoying lol
 
Update: Whatever it was that was causing my insomnia and intensified dream cycles, it seems to have tapered off.

The last few days I've slept until anywhere from 5:30 AM-7:30 AM, and I haven't remembered any of my dreams.

As far as the caloric intake goes, I usually range anywhere from 1500-2000, usually on the heavier end because I work out so much. I haven't been eating less or anything, but maybe I'm just burning more calories now? I dunno.
 
maverick: That's good to hear. I hope the same thing happens to me! Good luck with whatever goals you want to accomplish.

paydirt: You asked:
paydirt said:
What are you eating for dinner? Are you drinking caffeine after 4pm? How long before you go to bed do you drink your last water?
Click to expand...
Here are some more details. I started working out recently--still not heavy, but short, high-intensity workouts (five minutes walking, five of HIIT, then walking and cool down). The latest I'll ever workout is about 5 pm, but this has happened even when I worked out in the early morning only. I haven't kept track of times, but I can wake up as little as an hour after falling asleep and wake up every 30 minutes to an hour. Switching to sleeping on my sofa helped a couple of nights, but not last night. Usually an hour or so after breakfast, I can lay down and fall asleep for a couple of hours.

Diet: No caffeine. The nights I've had problems, I think, I've had brown rice, fish, and steamed veggies. So far, brown rice in the evening seems to be the constant. I'm going to switch it up, but I think it's a coincidence. Dinner is usually about 6:30. Sometimes a snack before bed helps, sometimes not. For example, one night I had 3/4c of brown rice with dinner, eating half a Clif bar before bed. The symptoms still occured. I suspected I didn't get enough carbs that day, and my fiber intake was really high, so the next night I increased my serving size of rice from 3/4c to 1c, eating a snack of a little wheat bread and peanut butter before bed, which seemed to help. Last night I had the 1c of brown rice, no snack, and the symptoms returned.

I usually drink a glass of water before going to bed. I'll keep water beside me at night, as I do feel dehydrated at points, despite my water intake during the day.

I've been looking at Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms, and they match what I'm going through (distinct from the dehydration), except my restlessness is often in my chest and arms as well. No known causes exist, but I've read some report an onset with increased exercise. It's suspected that lack of iron or B-complex may aggravate the problem. This make sense if my increased fiber intake may have caused any lack of nutrient absorption, so I'm going to try a vitamin supplement. I'll keep everyone posted in case anyone else has this problem.

(One last thing--have also noticed raised temperature in face, neck, and ears occasionally, usually accompanied with a slight headache. No pattern here, but I'll watch for it.)
 
restless leg syndrom, insomnia

Was quite suprised to read about your encountering restless leg syndrome accompanied by restlessness in the chest and arms, stemming from exercise induced insomnia. I am encountering the very same thing and thought I was all alone or that there was something major wrong with me. Every time I go to the doc all checks out fine, from stress tests to mri's. Don't think I am overtraining or anything like that. I watch my diet, adhere to all the proper bedtime rituals of cutting caffeine, taking a warm bath, dimming the lights, etc.. Nothing seems to work and I frustratingly have to let it run its course. Even caused me to stop exercising which was totally counter productive. Just out of curiosity, which arm and leg is the restlessness in, both, right, or left. I seem to have it predominantly on my left side, same as the heart. I've read it is highly unusual for rls to hit the upper body. Any other thoughts or ideas. I know it's been some time since your last post, hope you find and respond letting me know what helps.
 
I am having the exact same problem with exercised induced insomnia. Did you guys ever have any luck?

Shay
 
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