Workday training and sleep deprivation

[jesper2913]

How are you all getting enough sleep on workdays wheen you also want to train?

Training during workdays for me is ususally between 5:00 and 8:00 PM. I leave for work next morning at around 8:00 AM and finish at 4 PM. In order to get a full nights sleep I have to go to bed no later than 11:00 PM.

The problem is, my body is not ready to go to sleep 3 hours after training. I need at least 4-5 hours of cool down before my body is ready to rest. After a hard training session I ususally fall asleep at around 00:30-01:00 AM. That gives me 6 hours of sleep, and that is definitely not enough to do my job the next day and to rest my body.

Is anyone else having that problem? Does anyone have a solution that not requires any sort of medical treatment or working fewer hours?

[eucalyptus]

Why do you need 4-5 hours cooldown after training before sleep?

I am pushing my limits and records in January. Training every single day in January, so far 18 days and 58 hours (that is +3 hours avg/day).

I work 08:30 AM to 5 PM. Wake up around 7 AM because I am a very sleepy person in the morning.
Come home, take something to eat, playing Xbox until 7 or 8 PM

Then hop on the bike to zwift 2 to 4 hours, usually done at 11 or 12 PM. Take a shower and then to bed looking at my phone until 1 AM and then its lights out. Sleep varies between 6 to 7 hours. Its not great but it is what is.

Sometimes my HR drops very quick between bike-show-bed. And sometimes not, yesterday my HR was flying to 100 when jumping to bed. And this can be seen on Garmin connect, bad days my sleep HR is around 48-50 and a really good night is as low as 40-41.

[jesper2913]

Why do you need 4-5 hours cooldown after training before sleep?

I wish I knew. Maybe it's age related (mid 40's)?

If I finish training at 8 PM and go to bed at 10 PM, I'm tossing and turning for 2 to 3 hours before I fall asleep.

[GaBa]

Train in the morning before leaving for work. But for this to work in my opinion sleep hygiene is very important, so going to bed early night before. But doing 3 hrs might be difficult, if that is the amoung of hours you put in daily? Two hours is doable though in my opinion. Then you also start your day on a high and have enough time in the afternoon to calm down and get ready for bed and a good night sleep.

It is well known that body needs time to cool down after training, when searching to improve sleep you will always see training late in the day is not recommended.

[robeambro]

Why do you need 4-5 hours cooldown after training before sleep?

I wish I knew. Maybe it's age related (mid 40's)?

If I finish training at 8 PM and go to bed at 10 PM, I'm tossing and turning for 2 to 3 hours before I fall asleep.

And if you don't train, you're able to fall asleep on the spot?

(also, tossing and turning in bed can be one of the worst practices when it comes to sleep hygiene, much better to get up and wait to be sleepy and then go back to bed. Of course YMMV - it might affect you, whilst somebody else could be in bed for 3h browsing their phone whilst listening to death metal and drinking espresso, and they'll fall asleep in the blink of an eye when they decide to)

[Nohands83]

I suffer from this if I do a hard session/ride finishing after 8pm, not sure it's age-related (I'm 40 as well) more likely hormone as a result of intense exercise. Could you not train real early in the morning?

[Dannnnn]

Currently I train from 7pm/8pm to 9/10pm, 4 or 5 days a week.

Shower, drink and then straight to bed, don't really have any issues getting to sleep.
Up at 5:45/6am for work.

I'm used to being tired as I've got a 5 and 3 year old.

[RaffiCA]

I’m not a trainer expert but if your body still running very high after 3-4 hours (I’ve been there for a period) you should consider decreasing the volume / intensity, and / or split the session into multiple days since you potentially jeopardising your recovery and not just by missing the sleep-time. This also has some cascading effect on the next session and so on.

Also make sure you spot-on with food intake, pre-fueled, re-fueled, well hydrated, up with proetein etc.

I like this topic, I'm in somewhat similar situation, although not sure the overall training volumes are similar, as I had to cut back the time spent on working out temporary by 50%.

This given me the solution that I split up especially the high effort trainings for shorter sessions, thus decreasing the workload and stress for a particular day, still on average week in week out you can reach your overall target just in splits.

[McFly]

Train in the morning is obvious, or some sessions could be split in two, morning and evening, for less training load before bed.

Easier said than done. I’ve tried riding in the morning before work and haven’t found it a good fit. Coldest part of the day, dark, and I can’t get to bed early enough with family around to be happy with a 4am-ish alarm. I know it works for some—I remember hearing my college roommate’s alarm followed seconds later by the door. He’d throw on his shoes and be out for a run in less than 60 seconds. I am a slower riser and need to eat something before an hour on the bike.

Is it hard to fall asleep after a z2 or light tempo ride, or just hammer days?


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