Sleep issues??
Has anyone ever suffered through insomnia during extremely hard training periods? I've never had this problem before, in fact, I can barely make it to bed before passing out most nights. But I have had terrible sleep troubles literally since New Years. That was the first week switching over to the VO2 training plus the run challenge, which I fully embraced....In any event, I'm fearing eventually everything will collapse on itself if I can't sleep at night while trying to do this OS program. Last night, at most, 90 minutes of true sleep, which started around 4 am, so when my alarm went off at 5'15 for today's brick session, I actually turned it off, and of course, lay in bed wide awake, again, until children started moving. Any thoughts from the group? Thanks.
Comments
Heather,
I've been experiencing some restless sleep during the OS and it's usually followed by hard workouts, which are all of them.
One thing that I find helps is taking an epsom salt bath. I don't do it as much as I should, but it definitely helps.
Dave
Dave- that's the second time in a week I've heard a recommendation for an Epsom Salt bath. I might have to check into that a little more too.
Also, I've found that when I'm on the hairy edge of overtraining and being overtired, I don't sleep so well either.
Heather- you don't mention doing anything differently to help you relax. I can tell when I have been working hard and am due for a massage ( I go every 2 weeks). If you don't already, you might try some professional body work. Sometimes stretching and rolling just don't cut it and I need something deeper. Also, I have reverted back to ice baths after most sessions. Weird but I feel better all of the time now that I am getting in the OS groove.
On the sleep side here are some suggestions that may help outside of making sure you are not overtraining:
Mark Savard is a Vegas Hypnotist and has a website with an MP3 for insomnia that helps many people I've directed to it but more with general sleep issues not related specifically to training.
5-htp - nutritional supplement (amino acid derivative)
valarian root helps relax the muscles
Vince
Thanks everyone for the quick posts, really appreciate it and will try to incorporate some of the suggestions. It's just so weird how sudden the change, and it's pure torture. Cheers.
Yes, poor sleep hygiene is part of my life due to my career, not much I can do about it. It is a sleep feast or famine for me. It is definitely worse during big training. I don't necessarily advocate it for everybody but I take Ambien CR some nights, it definitely helps a ton. I wake up feeling good about 7.5 hrs after I swallow the pill.
Nemo...glad I'm good for something!
I was in Vegas this weekend for a conference and there was a Doc there that specializes in extremity diagnosis and treatment. I've been having on-going medial knee issues and attribute it to a dropped arch on the same side (orthotics, etc). Short version is that he adjusted my calcaneous, talus, etc...and my knee. My leg feels bullet proof now. I know it's not but my proprioception is so much better I don't have to think about my left leg mechanically when I run or ride now. Let's hope it stays that way.
My point is that when we change our joint mechanics (even very subtlely) it can have profound effects on muscles and wear/tear on joints in the chain. Don't sit pretzel-like...according to Leigh :-).
Vince
Dan...reminds me of a funny story. I had a guy at the office who told me he took ambien and woke the next day and went downstairs to find someone had made brownies and ate them all. He glanced at the glass door on the microwave and saw his reflection. His face, shirt and hair were covered in brownie batter! He says this happens to him routinely but doesn't care (strange guy). So, if your raceweight doesn't start coming together as you'd like...and your pantry is empty of all baking products...
Vince
Vince - that is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time, love it! Thanks for your advice too, here's hoping for sleep tonight!
I have the same problem if I work out or race in the evenings. After soon hard efforts I can be up late until the middle of the night.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheanineI've recently discovered L-Theanine
at the health food store. It takes the edge right off stress and being worked-up from a work-out. Plus it's been working wonders on my insomina. Since I'm falling asleep calm I'm not waking up in the middle of the night thinking about the 1,000 things I have to do in the morning.
I'm a very light sleeper, have a very hard time turning off my head at night...cuz it's so big and there's so much good stuff rolling around in there...but earplugs seem to help a lot. I don't wake up in the middle of the night, can't hear Riley whining at 4am because he wants his snuggletime, etc. Might want to try that.
Here's what helps me:
1.Go to bed close the same time each night
2. No caffeine after 6pm
3. NEVER watch TV in bed..conditions your mind to not view bed as a place to sleep
Michael...sound advice. #3 is also very stimulatory to the brain as all the visual stim is very excitatory in nature. In Mark Sisson's book Primal Blueprint he mentions it as an issue for sleep also.
Vince
Also- do you have white noise in your bedroom? Like a fan running or a noise machine? We have a cheap one I picked up at Target that plays beach noises, a bubbling brook, rain, wind, etc. It helps me fall asleep and relax.
Let us know if it helps.
+1 to this. Anything with a steady noise that will soften others works. I live on the first floor of a condo building near a busy city intersection and my upstairs neighbor has a dog. Before I got my sound machine I'd wake up every time the bus stopped to pick someone up ("Route 66. Chicago to Navy Pier" all night.
) or I become a part of the conversation of everyone who walks by my windows. However, with that machine going I don't hear anything.
@Nemo: make it 3 times this week for epsom baths! My massage therapist recommended the following "ultrabath" especially post-massage: 2 c epsom salts, 1 c baking soda and 10 drops lavender oil. 20 minute hot bath, sweat everything out.
Benefits include: relaxation through lowering of cortisol (lavender) which reduces inflammation, detoxification through magnesium & sulfur in epsom salts, alkalinization (more detoxing) of your body through the baking soda, increased sweating and elimination of toxins. She said I'd "sleep like a baby" and well, she was right! But I did sort of cheat as well, found an herbal supp w/both L-Theanine & Valerian root, wow, did not move from the minute I put my head down until the alarm went off. Thanks to the group for that recommendation as well.
For the record, I've worn ear plugs to sleep for 10 years, it's like sleeping underwater, all sounds are muted and that usually does the trick, I think the muscles are just wound a bit too tight and worn down (as David said, ALL the workouts right now are HARD
). Therapist said she could have worked 90 minutes on me, I said "next time". 
I almost can't sleep without a fan going.....I really believe the "white noise" blocks out extraneous sounds and conditions your brain to know when it's hearing this sound, it's time to sleep.