How to sleep better after working out?

June 2, 2016 10:07 AM

I've recently started running in the evening and on those nights I have been sleeping poorly. What can I do to get better quality sleep?

The details
Time of workout: 7 to 8 pm
Frequency: ~every other day
Bed time: 10-10:30 pm
Duration of issue: since I started this exercise program 2 weeks ago

I have two issues. The first is that it has been harder for me to fall asleep at my normal time on the days I work out. That wouldn't be so bad except for the second issue which is that the sleep I get isn't as restful as it should be. I currently spend about 10 minutes stretching after my run and then take a shower. What else can I do to improve my sleep?

I haven't been working out this long so is this something that could fade over time as my body gets used to the routine?

As an aside, there isn't a better time for me to workout. I tried waking up early to run before work but I could not do it.

posted by nolnacs to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

I had this for a few weeks after I started going to the gym and then it eased off. Even if I miss a couple of weeks now, I don't get the same sleep problems when I start back up.
posted by Frowner at 10:11 AM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

can you try 6-7pm?

or even, paradoxically, 8-9 or even 9-10pm? that (and even later!) has actually worked for me - an explanation i've read for that is that it prompts a temperature drop (in the same way a hot shower does) that you can then take advantage of (if you have jammies etc. ready to go).

also, you can experiment with intensity -if you're doing "vigorous" exercise, try slowing down a bit. if you're doing moderate exercise, try speeding things up.

what i've read about exercise and sleep supports what Frowner said, too, that it may not yield an immediate benefit re sleep, but that it typically helps over the longer term.
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:26 AM on June 2, 2016

later worked for me, fwiw. also, running in the dark is its own kind of cool.
posted by andrewcooke at 10:47 AM on June 2, 2016

FWIW, it never got better for me. When I worked out at night, I couldn't sleep for hours and I slept less well those evenings if I tried to force it. If I just stayed up, then went to bed once I was tired, I slept fine. I have solved this by not working out at night or accepting that I will be up late. A beer also helps a little.
posted by dame at 11:12 AM on June 2, 2016

I have the same problem. It's like my brain doesn't want to shut down after a workout, plus my muscles are often too sore to get comfortable and I still have endorphins running through my body. What has helped me a bit is to take a magnesium supplement immediately after working out, which helps to make my muscles relax, and take a warm bath while reading a book right before bed to calm my brain.
posted by joan_holloway at 11:19 AM on June 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have this when I work out hard even earlier in the day. The harder the workout the worse it is. My best guess is it is partly body temperature and I find staying in the cool pool or cold shower for a while, longer than normal, long enough to chill my body, before bed helps.
posted by bongo_x at 11:45 AM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Recovery drink right after finishing stretching (chocolate milk, etc.), ibuprofen and water before bed, and read a book (like, the kind printed on paper). Your body needs nutrients; if it doesn't get them, it'll pester you to go find some. Ibuprofen and water helps alleviate aches. And sitting quietly reading a book will either make you sleepy, or you'll get some reading done. Yay either way.
posted by disconnect at 11:49 AM on June 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can you elaborate on why working out in the morning didn't work for you? This is a feature, not a bug, of exercise, in that it gives you more energy. In my experience (I am NOT a morning person) it took a lot of persistence to get into working out in the mornings, but once I did I was all "ohhhhh, I get why people do this now."
posted by Brittanie at 12:04 PM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully, it will go away on its own after a few more weeks but if not, I will try working out at different times in the evening. Maybe also a cold shower versus my current hot one although it sounds unpleasant to me.

Unfortunately, reading doesn't really help. I read the 2nd half of Homage to Catalonia after my run last night with no success other than reading.

I agree that mornings would be better but I just cannot wake up. I tried for a month and a half to get up early to work out and did not manage it once.
posted by nolnacs at 12:55 PM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, I don't know what your schedule or workplace is like, but when I could, I found I really liked working out at lunch.
posted by dame at 1:05 PM on June 2, 2016

Melatonin tablets have helped me fix an off-kilter sleep schedule and might be useful in your case. The dreams I get when I take it tend to be more intense though, so YMMV.
posted by Aleyn at 3:57 PM on June 2, 2016

I have dance class or rehearsal from 8pm to 10pm three nights a week. I am SO not ready for sleep right afterwards. My body (brain?) just wants to stay up after, even if I'm sore and physically tired. This has been happening for close to a year, so I don't think it's a matter of getting used to it, at least not for me. It usually takes about 4 hours for me to wind down enough to sleep. I freelance, so a 2am bedtime is not the awfulness it could be.

Do try Melatonin, and also see if running at 6pm instead, then eating dinner, helps you sleep. Carbs (like a piece of toast) or warm milk can also help you ease into sleep.
posted by ananci at 6:08 PM on June 2, 2016

Response by poster: My sleep has gotten better since I asked this question. I think that my body has just gotten used to the exercise.
posted by nolnacs at 2:37 PM on July 2, 2016