RunningAHEAD - Topic: Sleep

turboterie1

posted: 3/19/2008 at 2:52 PM

As I've been increasing my mileage in the past month or so, I've noticed that my need for sleep has also increased! I've always been one that needs a lot of sleep anyway and would function great on about 8.5-9 hours. Last night I slept 10.5 hours and feel like I normally do when I sleep my usual 8.5-9 hours. I've also started adding in naps during the day to help me out which does seem to make a difference as well. Does anyone else have this happen? I'm hoping that my body gets used to this kind of mileage soon so I won't require quite this much sleep.

Finished my first marathon 1-13-2008 in 6:03:37 at P.F. Chang's in Phoenix. PR in San Antonio RnR 5:45:58!!!!!! on 11-16-08 The only thing that has ever made any difference in my running is running. Goal: Break 2:30 in the HM this year Jay Benson Tri (place in Athena category) 5-10-09

jeffdonahue

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:03 PM

Quote from turboterie1 on 3/19/2008 at 2:52 PM:

As I've been increasing my mileage in the past month or so, I've noticed that my need for sleep has also increased! I've always been one that needs a lot of sleep anyway and would function great on about 8.5-9 hours. Last night I slept 10.5 hours and feel like I normally do when I sleep my usual 8.5-9 hours. I've also started adding in naps during the day to help me out which does seem to make a difference as well. Does anyone else have this happen? I'm hoping that my body gets used to this kind of mileage soon so I won't require quite this much sleep.

10.5 hours, are you kidding me???? Obviously you dont have any kids. On a good night I get about 6 hours of sleep - last night, about 3 (though I feel as if I could keel over right now). And I cant remember the last time I got to take a nap in teh middle of the day - not sure my boss would go for that.

smalcolm

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:09 PM
modified: 3/19/2008 at 3:10 PM

Whoa, I don't know if I have ever gotten 10 straight hours of sleep. Smile

I have noticed though on long run days I am more likely to take a nap. Otherwise I am pretty tired in the evening.

~Sara
It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great. ~ Jimmy Dugan

Figbash

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:10 PM

That's one of the side effects of high mileage. I'm normally fine with 6-7 hours of sleep but when I'm marathon training I need 8-9 hours and I still fall asleep during the day. The only solution I've found is less mileage. Tom

slowgino

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:23 PM

Quote from turboterie1 on 3/19/2008 at 2:52 PM:

As I've been increasing my mileage in the past month or so, I've noticed that my need for sleep has also increased!

Sure, this can happen when you increase the workload/mileage. Once you reach a mileage plateau it should stabilize, but let's face it - the body does require "rest" (i.e. sleep) to rebuild after hard or long days. One way to tell if you are getting enough is by your REM sleep - characterized by dreaming. Some people require more sleep than others, that's just the way it is. I knew one guy who could not function on less than 9 hours sleep. The good news - needing more sleep is an indication that your training ramp-up is working. The body has been stressed and the rest you get by getting more sleep is where your system is rebuilding and getting stronger. Take care, Gino

slowgino

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:38 PM

Quote from turboterie1 on 3/19/2008 at 2:52 PM:

I'm hoping that my body gets used to this kind of mileage soon...

Hey, I like the graph on your log. I haven't been able to figure out how to get a graph on mine... if I could I'd make the log public (my log records duration, not distance... except for races.) A question: What is "HRR" ? Some of your runs are labeled that, and I don't know how to interpret taht. Gino

Lisa3.1

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:54 PM

Quote from jeffdonahue on 3/19/2008 at 3:03 PM:

10.5 hours, are you kidding me???? Obviously you dont have any kids.

I have a 2 1/2 year old son, and I sleep as long as he does some nights, which is about 10-12 hours.

finney

Resident pinniped

posted: 3/19/2008 at 3:59 PM

So far it sounds like you're just noticed the effects of higher milage, but if you start having problems with your mood (depression, irritability) odd food cravings, lack of motivation, and a string of consistantly bad runs, you might be overtraining. There is a very fine line sometimes...

Marcus L S

The Greatest of All Time

posted: 3/19/2008 at 4:06 PM

Wow. I can't remember the last time I slept for 10 hours, let alone 9. I get 7 a night and even with my weekly mileage it's enough. I am so used to waking up at 4:45 that I can't sleep past 6:30 on the weekends! I have found the older I get, the less sleep I require. But when I was in my late 20's and was really active in triathlons I slept more and when training for the Ironman I took a nap every day. I still squeeze in brief naps sometimes on weekend afternoons, but only if I raced or ran long that morning.

all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

Obesity is a disease. Yes, a disease where nothing tastes bad...except salads.

Mississippi

posted: 3/19/2008 at 4:13 PM

I probably need more sleep. I average 5 to 6 hours a night. If I get more than that I feel groggy all day.

Michelle

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 3/19/2008 at 4:47 PM
modified: 3/19/2008 at 4:49 PM

I only sleep about 7 hours per night, but after a week of hard workouts I might sleep for 9 or 10 hours. I experimented with taking 20 minute naps in my car at lunch time for a month or two, and that worked out pretty well while I did it. Since I now run at lunch time almost every day as being the least intrusive time to get 5 miles in, I haven't been doing the power nap thing.

Quote from Mississippi on 3/19/2008 at 4:13 PM:

I probably need more sleep. I average 5 to 6 hours a night. If I get more than that I feel groggy all day.

Me too. I try to get up at the same time every day, and just go to sleep when I get tired at night. My body will make me tired at the appropriate time since it knows when I'll be getting up.

Quote from finney on 3/19/2008 at 3:59 PM:

So far it sounds like you're just noticed the effects of higher milage, but if you start having problems with your mood (depression, irritability) odd food cravings, lack of motivation, and a string of consistantly bad runs, you might be overtraining.

Or pregnant.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

run_ac_run

posted: 3/19/2008 at 5:50 PM

Quote from jeffdonahue on 3/19/2008 at 3:03 PM:

10.5 hours, are you kidding me???? Obviously you dont have any kids.

Holy Mackerel... I am so jealous! I can't remember the last time I got even 8 hours of sleep. In fact, I've gotten so little sleep each night in the last year or two, that even if I try to sleep a long time, I can't. 6 hours is about the limit for me right now. But, I will agree that running makes me sleep harder and fall asleep faster (collapse on the bed, actually).

cgerber

posted: 3/19/2008 at 5:57 PM

Quote from Lisa3.1 on 3/19/2008 at 3:54 PM:

I have a 2 1/2 year old son, and I sleep as long as he does some nights, which is about 10-12 hours.

Same here... my 2 year old son sleeps 12 hours a night.

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 3/21/2008 at 9:15 AM

If I'm not training I need about 7-8 hours to feel good, so I'm a need-sleep type. I remember when I was training at my peak (80-110 mpw with 3 workouts per week) I easily needed 10-12 hours per night just to maintain that...The couple weeks I hit 120+ mpw I needed a 2-hr nap too!! Now with a baby I have been averaging 5-6 hrs/night. How well I am doing with my training is directly related to how much sleep I get, on a good week when I get 7-8 hrs for a few days straight I am significantly faster and can go further than I have been averaging.

"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

JimHowe

posted: 3/21/2008 at 11:28 AM
modified: 3/21/2008 at 11:29 AM

My normal range is 5-7 hours even with no outside pressures. I'd like to sleep longer but I guess that inability to get more comes with aging. I feel great on 7 hours but can drag on 5 if I've had a race or trained hard that day. I could never sleep 10 hours unless I was sick.

Age 60 plus best times: 5k 19:00, 10k 38:35, 10m 1:05:30, HM 1:24:09, 30k 2:04:33

Sleep (Read 919 times)