Trouble falling asleep

[JohnRi]

Ok, I've got a problem I hadn't anticipated.  Back when I was REALLY obese... 281 lbs, 10:30 roll around, and I'd get sleepy.  I could lie down on the bed...  Out in like 15 seconds....  Tired the next day...

Now that I've changed my diet, and exercising, now I'm never getting sleepy...  I've droped 31 lbs, 66 to go. 

I'm going to bed at after midnight, and walking up before my alarm clock at 6:30 AM.  Plus it takes me several minutes to fall asleep.  Sometimes 30 or more.    The next day I'm not tired!  I feel full of energy all the time. 

I've pretty given up caffinine completely.  Almost drink nothing but water.  I am eating dinner a little later due to the amount of exercise I'm getting.  I'm walking about 80-90 minutes every other day.  So I'm eating closer to 8 PM.  But dinner is usually in the 600-800 calorie range.

Just curious if anyone has trouble sleeping now that they are getting fit?  Yesterday I hit 15,000 steps for the first time...  After work I walked 4 miles went home, showered, left the house, got dinner, and then went grocery shopping... 

And I never got sleepy...  Tired for sure.  But not sleepy.  Keep in mind I'm almost 49!

Anyone else?

[Mrthekla]

I'm about 5 weeks into my new fitness / eating routine. I definetly have more energy. But I can't say I'm having any trouble falling asleep. But the changes I've made are relatively mild.

First, I'm eating healthier. For example, no egg mcmuffin and hash browns for breakfast. Either an egg white omlette or protien shake, or oatmeal. Lunches are a salad or similar. My dinners are still pretty bulky and my main meal of the day. I'm cooking for 3 kids (17, 19 and 21), and it's thier only chance for a home cooked meal. I've gotten more mindful of the fat/carb/protien balance and made adjustments. But still 50% of my calorie intake is dinner and evening snack. Not the best habit, but it's working.

I'm going to the gym 4 times a week. 3 during the week in the evenings after dinner and once on the weekend. During the week is either an 'aggresive' 30m walk/run followed by 45m of weight traning or swimming. The weekend visit is 2 hours of walk/run and maybe some time on the cycle. 

I do have a good nightime routine. I get home, change into pajamas. Drink a glass of water and chat with the kids if they are home, or snuggle with the dogs. No more chores at this point. Then I brush my teeth and go to bed.  An important point is no TV or 'screen time' (phone, computer or tablets) for 30m prior to bed. Reading the paper or a book is fine (epaper is okay, but no screens, the light affects me). Then when I crawl under the covers and turn out the light I'm usually asleep in <1m.  If I do wake up in the middle of the night, I'll get out of bed. I try to keep the lights off, but I'll go use the bathroom. Check on the kids and dogs. Peek outside to see if anyone is creeping around the neighborhood. Then crawl back into bed and I'm back out in under a couple of minutes. If not I'll get up again and sit with the dogs on the couch for 5 minutes or so. 

I think the nighttime ritual and having the bed be a 'place for sleeping' is key to the body getting used to going from awake to asleep quickly. 

[Fit-to-Be]

I don't have problems falling to sleep; I have problems staying asleep.  I wake up several times during the night 9-15 according to my fitbit. If I go to the bathroom it takes me forever to fall back to sleep.  Any suggestions?

[tiffsterr]

Hey John,

If you used to sleep well and suddenly you don't it could be a vitamin deficiency or hormone changes.  If you check out Robb Wolf's Paleo podcast (it's free to download but not sure which episode numbers apply to this topic) he talks many times in his podcasts about sleep and how diet and hormonal imbalances can greatly affect your sleep patterns.  It might be something really simple like adding a multivitamin or a mini dose of testosterone so check out his podcast and talk to your doctor about getting some tests run.  His podcast is very fitness oriented and inspiring.

[fugality]

I've struggled all my adult life with sleep. I have a genetic/familial low metabolism of unknown origin that disrupts my diurnal cycle and especially sleep. We are small, fidgity, active, lean people. In my late 20s I realized that 2 hours a night was probably a deadly path and took a seminar in deep relaxation and autohypnosis. I couldn't do the autohypnosis, but the deep relaxation was the answer. It's a process of contracting different muscles to experience the tension then letting go and feeling the spread of relaxation. Concentrating on deep and slow breathing pushes other distracting thoughts out. When distracting thoughts come, it's OK because you just notice it and go back to breathing. It took 2 days to learn, a month to master, and has been an important life skill for me for forty years. I can always put myself to sleep within 30 minutes, anywhere, anytime. It usually only takes 5 minutes. My sleep is very inefficient so it takes about 10 hours in bed to get 5 or 6 hours sleep. But by deep relaxing back to sleep after every waking I've been able to get enough sleep to get by. It was a secret technique when I started but there are now lots of books and audio programs out there so experiment! Let us know how it goes!

[Paradise555]

I tink you might have sleep apnea. I had the same problem before I got dianosed with it. It is worth a shot but do you ever stop breathing while you sleep? Or have someone told you that? Or snore pretty bad?

[Dominique]

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@Paradise555 wrote:

I tink you might have sleep apnea. I had the same problem before I got dianosed with it. It is worth a shot but do you ever stop breathing while you sleep? Or have someone told you that? Or snore pretty bad?

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Tiredness in spite of falling asleep easily and sleeping long (when OP was heavier) vs. no tiredness in spite of not falling asleep easily (now he’s lost quite some weight) would rather suggest sleep apnea would be less of a problem. Still, it’s worth checking, as sleep apnea is common when overweight. I noticed a clear improvement in my sleep quality after losing about 10 kg down to my current weight: no more sore throat in the morning (from snoring), no more tiredness in the late afternoon (from poor sleep quality).

It’s often recommended to start slowing down a couple of hours before bedtime. That includes avoiding "blue light" (computers, tablets, smartphones, TV) during late evening. Melatonin supplementation could help too.

[JohnRi]

I believe I have an idea as to the problem...  When I first started exercising after work, I got home from work around 5:20.  I'd feed my dogs, and put them outside.  Then I'd hit the park by 5:30 for a 30-45 minute walk, and home by 6:30.  Shower, cook dinner, eat, and be on the couch by 7:30.  Bed by 10:30... 

Today, I leave work at 5, hit the park by my office by 5:05...  Walk until 7:30..  Home by 8:00..   Shower, cook, eat, and on the couch by 9:30...  Where I'm full of energy, sometimes tired, and not sleepy...  Finally I go to bed around 12:30.. 

Walking as much as I do now, is really leaves me so full of energy.  I find myself walking full steam even at the grocery store.  I don't have the slow walk anymore.  And I don't mean to powerwork at in grocery isle...  I just find myself doing it...

I'm getting less and less sleep.  I went from averaging 7 hours down to just under 6...  I'm just going to have to deal with... 

The other night on a non exercise day, I was out like a light at 11... 

I'm just exercising a lot, and it's screwing with my sleep schedule...  on the plus side I'm down 11 lbs in 3 weeks...  33 lbs lost..  64 to go...

[LarryLakes]

Hi I'm Larry and sence I starte working out 4 or 5 hours is all I get are bodys are healing your brain is getting tiered but not your body.. Just be thankfull were not dead. I Love this stuff

[mccw2]

Hi John,

you have done so well to change your life. Who cares if you are not getting the zzz's you were used to when heavier. You must feel so alive! And its hard to sleep when feeling enthused and engaged. This too shall pass. Keep it all up and your sleep will fall into the place you need it to be.

[CallieM]

@JohnRi awesome job on your weight accomplishments so far! 

I usually get 7-8 hours per night, and then wake up and go for a run in the morning. Most mornings, I wake up before my alarm. The combination of that amount of sleep plus exercising in the morning gives me energy throughout the whole day, and at night I usually fall asleep within 10-15 minutes. I think it's dependent on each individual! 

In your situation though, it sounds like your body just doesn't need as much sleep anymore! If you're getting 6 hours of sleep but still waking up full of energy before your alarm goes off, you might just not need as much sleep anymore, so I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to fall asleep. It sounds like exercise is giving you energy, and that's great! Even if the recommended amount for adults is 8 hours, if you feel rested after 6 I think it's quite alright to listen to your body. Of course, if you start feeling tired during the day or start waking up at night, this could be attributed to something more serious and it's time to see the doc!

Thank you everyone for your input! This is a great thread!