[caryesings]

Conventional wisdom is that if you exercise you'll sleep better. Well I doubled my exercise quantity @12 weeks ago. Am loving the other benefits I'm getting, but better sleep is definitely not one of them. It's now taking much, much longer to fall asleep and I don't stay asleep for the entire night. Now it is possible that my increased exercise is coinciding with other changes (I'm approaching 50 and just getting hints menopause is coming), but this has happened to me before as well. I thought it might be due to the time I finished exercising in the evening (usually @ 8 pm) so I made sure weekend exercise sessions early in the day but doesn't seem to make any difference.

Anyone else experience this? If so, does body eventually adjust?

[littlelion]

My first guess would be that you might be exercising too late in the day. I've read that we should try to work out no less than 6 hours before bedtime - so if you go to sleep at 10, you would try to get your workout in before 4-4:30. Obviously this is difficult if you have a schedule defined by work or whatever else, but if it is possible for you to exercise in the morning I would try that for a week and see what happens.

[beerab]

What time do you work out? What time do you go to bed?

Also you may want to get your circadian rhythm checked out. It might be off. Someone I knew had this issue and was able to have it corrected with medication I believe.

One suggestion too is do NOT just stay in bed staring at the ceiling all night- get up, go do something, even if it's get up and read and do so until you feel tired then try going to sleep again. It should help till you solve the problem.

[Ilene]

I'm 52 and falling asleep is a major problem, once asleep I'm ok, exercising late or early didn't help at all... I found a tea that helps me sleep though and since using it I sleep very well and fall asleep quickly. I got it in the health food section of our local grocery stone it's called Nighty Night tea...

I really do think that hormones have a LOT to do with it at our age...

[Ilene]

Here I found a site....

[ennay]

I do not sleep well if I exercise after about 4 pm. Even yoga.

[Jinksie]

this one seems easy - dont watch tv before you sleep/or in bed. If your mind is racing with thoughts and you cant sleep, write them down. Dont work out too late, gets your blood pumping, which gives your body the signal to keep awake; not rest.

Since i started working out before 1pm in the day, i've been just dropping to sleep. 2 mins and im out. Even at 1030pm or 12am; whenever i go. I also stopped watching tv in bed, which i think has helped significatly.

Is there a chance you're getting too much sleep? I read in a womans week, that as soon as you wake up, you should go outside for about 5 mins, get some sunlight, and it teaches your body when you want to wake up. Same can be said about falling asleep. Set a ritual, same time every day if possible, and just relax.

[kiramira]

I hear you. I thought that I would sleep AWESOMELY during my yoga 30 day challenge (90 minutes every day) and I've never slept WORSE in my life. Time of day, pre-bed activities, nothing made any difference...I've cut back the exercise and am sleeping better...
No suggestions, just a big "I get ya!" coming your way...

Kira