Insomnia is screwing up my running. (Read 1118 times)

Here is an solid formula. I have sleep issues also. I take the formula below or something similar. I also take a homeopathic formula called RESCUE SLEEP as needed especially if I wake up in middle of night. I swear it clears my mind.

http://www.vitacost.com/Natrol-Sleep-n-Restore-20-Tablets-1/?pd_section=pr

http://www.vitacost.com/Bach-Flower-Remedies-Rescue-Sleep-Natural-Sleep-Aid-0-245-fl-oz

That's spot on for last night's sleep. I went to sleep shortly before 10, woke up and looked at the clock at 11:35, and went right back to sleep. I was able to make it till four before waking up, so it was a good night. At that point, I just stayed awake. Going back to sleep for 30 minutes would have been a disaster.

You got it.  It you woke up at 11:35 and went right back to sleep, the next 90 minute cycle was 1 AM, then 2:30 AM and 4AM when you woke up and stayed awake.  At 4 AM, the end of the next cycle would have been 5:30 AM so waking up at 4:30 would have been difficult.

Sorry, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have sleepless nights now just mulling over the idea that someone intentionally created the term "sleep hygiene".

So, SRL, have you been practicing good code hygiene?

Ew, did I really say that?

First I'll apologize for the lack of paragraphs...darn iphone. Anyway, I run at 5 AM. It's the only time that really works for me, and I like it. The problem is that the last month or so, I've been waking up around 2:00, and I'm wide awake for a couple of hours. Sometimes I just go ahead and get up and head out to run at the usual time, and I'm fine till around 4 PM. Then I'm toast for the rest of the day. Other times, I'll start getting sleepy around four, and reset my alarm clock to allow myself to get a couple more hours of sleep. Of course that means no run. Is there anything safe to take that will allow me to sleep well, but still be awake and alert at 4:30 AM? I should add that I cut off all caffeine by around 1 PM. Shouldn't that be early enough? And I'm not going to bed super early. Usually around 9:30-10:00.

I have had the exact same problem in the past and still do sometimes. While I am still going through trials and errors to figure out the cause and solution, I have learned that (1) This happens when I try to run too much (for my capacity) (2) The problem significantly lessons when I drink decaf and is almost gone when I stop drinking coffee in any form.

I have yet to try other combinations like run too much but not drink coffee at all etc.

I've had the same problem for years.  Changing the amount I run did not help.

Try going to bed earlier, if I go to bed later I tend to have a SHORTER sleep cycle.  Also, if  it is interrupted sleep cycles I get back to sleep better if the wake up is early enough to  give me time to relax about it (i.e. if I am awake for 90 minutes I can still get a good chunk of sleep after it).  My most restful sleep is the sleep I get before midnight. (as it is now 11:45 pm it does not bode well for tonight)

Dont do computer stuff, but dont stress about the going back to sleep part, keep the lights low and keep stimulus to a minimum and go back to sleep when you can.

Caffeine for me actually HELPED quite a bit, but try cutting it out earlier.  I do best with 2 largish cups (drip) in rather rapid succession...say in the first 3 hours of the day, and then stop.

Don't workout after noon.  Be cautious with carbs/sugars late in the day.  Red wine is a killer for the interrupted sleep pattern.

Magnesium citrate helps me quite a bit.  Use caution when first starting it as it is a natural laxative, but normal doses have never really affected me.  It also is a slight natural relaxant.  I can take one when I wake up at 3 am and it helps take me back down faster.

yes, I have found that the best thing is to just accept that you're awake and try to relax, make the best of it.

If it's still early in the night I will sometimes drink valerian tea to help me relax. If it's a super stubborn insomnia episode, however, the tea doesn't work for long.

also, word of caution re valerian: it does stink, and cats love it, but if they eat it they get all high and weird and it makes them foam at the mouth. So keep your cats away from your valerian! I let mine play with the tea wrapper, apparently it creates a nice buzz without all the mess. Cat mouth foam is really bad for your sleep hygiene.

Something I learned many years ago, and it addresses what to do when you find yourself awake and unable to sleep, not what to drink/buy/eat /do to prevent it. I don't think it is completely preventable.

When you are awake and unable to sleep, let your body rest. Lie relatively still. They claimed the worst effect of insomnia is not the lost sleep, it is the stress over it: "I can't sleep! I must sleep!". If you believe that a few hours of rest will be almost as beneficial as sleep, you can relax more. Let your body rest, it will take sleep if it needs sleep. Chances are, if you are not stressed out about it, you will rest a bit then fall back to sleep.

Chronic Insomniac here, too, and I am going through a terrible bout of it right now.....my 2 cents - if it is a night or two here and there, then address the externals everyone has mentioned: the "hygeine issues".....however - when the issue becomes chronic or wreaks havoc in your daily life, it is time to address the underlying issue - stress? depression? hormonal issues? thyroid?

When my insomnia gets out of hand I take a low dose of Ambien to stop the sleepless cycle - I am generally highly over-sensitive to any prescription meds and tend to avoid taking anything synthetic, but in my experience too many nights of bad sleep tend to create more nights of bad sleep and if little fixes [computer screens, caffeine etc] don't fix it, you can get into a really scary place mentally and physically; people love to bash prescription meds, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get through the issue....

Melatonin has never fixed my true Insomnia issues, though when I am in my regular sleep patterns, it does help me stay in a deeper sleep. Overtraining may sometimes be a cause - but I can say that I am no where close to my usual running volume right now and still have insomnia....

I hope you get some sleep.

PS -Words With Friends has kept me up waaay too late.....I have been trying to stop playing after 9:00 since it seems to wake up my brain too much.....