Went pretty hard on weight lifting and riding the last few weeks and started getting insomnia. Been resting last few days back to my normal sleep schedule now. Planning to take a few more days off and do a recovery week before doing a FF.
I’m wondering if training too hard could have contributed to sleeplessness? And if so, any tips on how to manage it going forward? Thanks!
I know if I exercise hard late in the day it’s hard for me to sleep even though I feel tired - it’s like my body is too twitchy to relax. Maybe try modify the time of the day when you train?
Bad sleep is sign of over reaching/over training
Normally my go to method of knowing when body need rest…
One thing I do is adding some yoga after hard session to help calm the nerves. Abi the yoga instructor can give you tips on the timing to do a yoga session to help calm the nerves and body and prepare for sleep? Her preferred session?
Also some people are sensitive to screen (tv, tablet, smart phone) so no screen 2 hours before sleep will help getting better sleep. Sometimes our daily routine changes without realizing it.
I usually exercise in the evening after work.
I have a short guided meditation before workout to lower the stress of the workday before exercise.
Another guided meditation after exercise, dinner and shower to cool down the mind and the body and prepare to sleep.
I agree with no screens and social networks after 7pm.
The AC block did this to me. I try and make sure my bowels are empty before bed too, as that seems to add internal pressure creating the need to fidget, even if I do not feel the need to go the the loo. An eating drinking break off point early evening helps .
@abicarver: Hi Abi, could you share with us your recommandations against Insomnia with yoga?
Thanks you
Winding down and preparing your body for sleep with a yoga or breathing exercise can be really effective.
Try these poses—you can do them all from your bed: https://yoga15.com/article/80-20-yoga-the-ultimate-sequence/
Insomnia, as mentioned above, can be a sign of over training but there are a few things you can do to help improve your sleep hygiene.
As mentioned by @abicarver relaxation techniques can really help. You can also try to listen to relaxation music or “white noise” (such as rain etc) before going to bed. If you’re still struggling after a few days of taking it easier on the bike then there are other things you can try.
Make sure your bedroom is noticeably cooler than the rest of the house. Either no phone or TV for 2 hours before bed - blue light from these devices (phones in particular) prevents our brain from making melatonin, our natural sleep chemical) or you can buy blue light filter lenses/glasses to wear 2 hours before bed. Magnesium supplements 30mins before bed can help (will also help from a muscular perspective too!) but preferably in the form of citrate or glycinate rather than oxide or carbonate etc due to absorption rates/ability. Glycine powder before bed (about 10g) can also help with sleep as well as tissue damage repair. Failing even those there are other things you can try like Theanine, 5-HTP and so on. Beyond that, you can buy melatonin but it is technically prescription only in the UK but legal to buy in other countries such as America, and you can buy it online at Biovea if you really want to, but I wouldn’t advise using it unless you really need to.
I’m sure, having said all of that, that a bit of recovery from the bike and you’ll be OK, but if not, there are a few things there to help you out I’m sure.