Hard Rides & Sleep Problems

keno · #1 10-23-2007, 06:47 AM

I find that if I do a hard ride where my pulse is elevated for long, sustained periods that while that night I will fall asleep with no problem (normal for me), but after about four hours of sleep I'm wide awake. The usual relaxing techniques don't help at all in getting back to sleep. Last night I spent a few hours on the PC and TV, and then was able to sleep three more hours.

This has been long-standing pattern, but today I thought I'd ask if others know the problem, and most importantly have a non-chemical solution.

keno

gomez308 · #2 10-23-2007, 06:55 AM

I've noticed the same thig. Especially if the ride is in the late afternoon. It feels like I had a 2 liter bottle of soda. Mebbe the endorphins are real.

cs124 · #3 10-23-2007, 07:00 AM

After a really hard day in the saddle, like 200km, I find it difficult to fall asleep and tend to wake every 2-3 hours. Tends to make recovery a bit difficult.

DarrenCT · #4 10-23-2007, 07:29 AM

try having a couple of cold beers before u go to bed to relax.

in all seriousness, i haven't had that issue after long rides. hope u can get back on track.

-d

Too Tall · #5 10-23-2007, 07:29 AM

Elevated hypothalmus activity is typical for what you describe...if you have one...word is you are a borg

Take a plain old asprin one hr. before bed on days where you notice an elevated hr. only. A smart Calif. doc. taught me this trick.

Kevan · #6 10-23-2007, 07:32 AM

especially the feet will give me a dull ache, keeping me awake on those days of hard riding. An ibu usually relaxes the situation.

keno · #7 10-23-2007, 07:33 AM

D, it's not necessarily long rides, but sustained efforts, say 20 minutes at LT.

TT, because of the rat poison (Coumadin) I take for my clotting talent, aspirin is verboten.

keno

Sandy · #8 10-23-2007, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevan

especially the feet will give me a dull ache, keeping me awake on those days of hard riding. An ibu usually relaxes the situation.

How should I put this Kevan?.....it's not your legs or feet.....it's my........

Sleeping Soundly Serotta Sandy

keno · #9 10-23-2007, 07:35 AM

forgot the borg thing; you mean Bjorn?

keno

Fixed · #10 10-23-2007, 08:25 AM

6 hours is what i get
cheers

BumpyintheBurgh · #11 10-23-2007, 08:36 AM

Doctor's Rx.....simple.....Slow Down....Your body is trying to tell you something.....Don't ride so hard. That'll be $100 please.

Spicoli · #12 10-23-2007, 08:42 AM

Get those silly Specialized insoles with the bump in the middle...my feet have never been happier! Got them in my non Specialized shoes too now. No more dead spots, hot feet, sleepy feet, just happy feet now! The silly little bump pushes your two lil' metatarsil(sp?) bones apart keeping blood flowing through to the rest of your feet. Stupid and sounds like a gimic but works for me and I have had a few races where I could not walk for about an hour after getting off the bike? I know the "dull ache" pain you are talkin about and I would get it after really hard races with those stupid hill things in them this fixed the problem all together for me.

Jeff

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevan

especially the feet will give me a dull ache, keeping me awake on those days of hard riding. An ibu usually relaxes the situation.

regularguy412 · #13 10-23-2007, 08:45 AM

I've had this waking every 2-3 hours after hard rides issue, as well. I think it is due to a number of things, in no particular order: 1) Hunger - I typically don't eat a lot before bedtime. 2) Aches & Pains - As I get older, I realize that I can push my body farther than it can recover in a few hours before bed. 3) Overtraining - Similar to #2, but I find that I don't sleep well when my resting heart rate is more than 10 beats above 'normal' right before bed.

To combat these causes, I do the following: 1) If I wake up at 2 am, I eat something small -- like a fig bar and chase it with a half glass of juice. 2) As others have suggested, using pain-killers before bed is a good plan. If you can't take aspirin or Ibuprofen, use Tylenol. 3) To combat overtraining, take at least three days off the bike -- a week would be better.

One last thing -- go to bed at the same time every night. This helps keep your body clock regulated.

Mike in AR

cadence231 · #14 10-23-2007, 09:01 AM

As has been suggested by regularguy412 I second the carbohydrate ingesting. I know it goes against eating in the evening but if you aren't topping off muscle glycogen after your rides your body will tell you somehow. Over the years I have heard of and deduced for myself a few things that signal lowered muscle glycogen: elevated respiration, trouble sleeping, decrease in sustained power and bad mood.

Too Tall · #15 10-23-2007, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keno

forgot the borg thing; you mean Bjorn?

keno

Nah...it's a startrek thaing and certainly not Bork which is too close to Pork and we both know that's off limits.

Well carp, I'm out of bright ideas. The asparin apparently buffers adrenal hormones so really there is only one cure...either beat the snot out of someone every evening or have wild passionate oh you know.....it's like groundhog day but with benefits.